In my MSHA Refresher classes this year we’re doing an activity measuring the light levels in and out of the classroom. It’s a good opportunity to become familiar with how greatly they can vary and how they can actually be measured easily. I found an online resource that goes into detail about levels of light and the three different measurements dealing with the same light source. For everyone interested in going more in depth into this subject I provide the link here.
The MSHA Rule says:
30 CFR § 56/57.17001
Illumination of surface working areas.
Illumination sufficient to provide safe working conditions shall be provided in and on all surface structures, paths, walkways, stairways, switch panels, loading and dumping sites, and work areas.
So while there’s no definite requirement to measure, measuring can give you an idea if you are meeting the standard or not, or at least give you a better understanding of what is sufficient or not.