Consequentially, there can be no European standards for the realm of occupational health and safety, since these would in turn apply to all EU states. This is the reason why the foreword of EN 12464-1 excludes occupational health and safety as follows: "This European Standard does not specify lighting requirements with respect to the safety and health of workers at work and has not been prepared in the field of application of Article 137 of the EC treaty, although the lighting requirements, as specified in this standard, usually fulfil safety needs. Lighting requirements with respect to the safety and health of workers at work may be contained in Directives based on Article 137 of the EC treaty, in national legislation of member states implementing these directives or in other national legislation of member states."
Requirements for good lighting in work places according to EN 12464-1 are derived from the required visual performance and the desired visual comfort, but also from economic considerations. Photometric requirements for lighting according to EN 12464-1 generally exceed the essential requirements for occupational health and safety. Visual performance and visual comfort are more connected to concepts such as work performance, productivity, accuracy of visual work and general well-being. Standard values are minimum values. In most cases, an elevation of qualitative and quantitative data of the lighting system can achieve measurable improvements in the wider sense of occupational health and safety, meaning increased productivity and visual comfort.
The entire "volume" of the pyramid (figure) describes an enhanced concept of "occupational health and safety" for lighting in photometric terms, which not only comprises safety at work, but also the protection of health and overall satisfaction. The requirements according to EN 12464-1 fulfil these preconditions.