Visual performance

Visual performance enables working people to perform visual tasks even under difficult conditions and over longer periods of time. Visual tasks are perceived by

• the extent of the occurring contrasts in luminance and colour

• the size of essential structural elements (details)

• the speed at which the visual tasks have to be perceived

• the desired reliability of recognition

• the duration of the visual work.

High visual performance means reliable contrast vision, high visual acuity and speed of perception as well as rapid and reliable recognition, and safety in the occupational sense.

With increasing difficulty of the visual task, requirements for the quality of lighting.

Example: Lighting of traffic zones and work places – e.g. in tool manufacturing or precision mechanical mounting, at observation desks, in airport towers, in power supply plant control centres or supermarkets – is mainly planned and evaluated with regard to the respective required visual performance. The basis for planning are essentially the quantitative quality criteria for lighting (see chapter "Illumination level" and chapter "Limitation of direct and reflected glare") which are defined by pertinent standards and recommendations.