Lighting solutions
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Courier and postal facility lighting should support fast and accurate parcel handling while providing a comfortable environment for customers. Service counters, parcel labels, storage racks and loading entrances perform different visual tasks, so illuminating the entire facility in exactly the same way is rarely the most effective approach.
Lighting directly affects everyday operations in these facilities. Addresses, barcodes, shipping labels and small printed information need to be read quickly, staff work with screens and scanners, and parcels move continuously through storage and dispatch areas. The lighting design should therefore follow the actual workflow from customer service to receiving, processing, storage and loading.
Customers should immediately identify service counters, waiting areas, self-service equipment and important information when they enter. Excessive brightness is not necessary. Consistent general illumination and sufficient light on vertical information surfaces are more useful.
Where several counters operate within one location, lighting can support wayfinding through a consistent linear system or carefully positioned accents. Areas used for completing forms should provide enough task lighting without excessive glare.
At a service counter, employees handle parcels, paperwork, labels, scanners, payment terminals and computer screens. Lighting needs to reach the working surface evenly without creating strong shadows from hands or the employee's body.
Reflections on monitors and payment displays should also be checked when luminaires are positioned. A bright source visible behind a customer or directly above the counter can reduce screen comfort.
Where the counter also serves as a visual orientation point, a linear or decorative lighting element can identify it, while the functional task lighting remains independently adequate for daily work.
Much of the important information within courier logistics is located on labels, boxes and shelving. High illuminance on the floor alone therefore does not guarantee easy identification.
Sorting and storage areas need sufficient vertical illumination across parcel faces and racks. This makes barcodes, addresses and storage markings easier to identify. In long shelving aisles, luminaire positions should respond to rack geometry rather than simply following the centre line of the room.
Safe circulation and fast parcel identification are the priorities within storage areas. Tall racks can easily create shadows if the optical distribution is not suited to the layout.
Linear industrial luminaires can provide a consistent solution along shelving rows and aisles. Higher spaces may require different technical or industrial luminaires depending on mounting height and storage configuration.
Where activity varies between different parts of the storage area, occupancy sensors or zoned controls can reduce unnecessary operating hours in unused sections.
Loading entrances combine people, parcel trolleys, pallets, delivery vehicles and ramps. Platform edges, doors, surfaces and changes in level need to remain clearly identifiable.
For outdoor or partially covered loading areas, luminaires should be selected according to actual exposure to moisture, dust and mechanical conditions. EN 12464-2:2024 addresses both the quantity and quality of illumination for outdoor workplaces, including visual comfort and control of obtrusive light.
Floodlights around loading bays should also be positioned to avoid glare towards drivers during reversing and manoeuvring.
The company sign and entrance should be recognisable from the street or parking area after dark. Non-illuminated signs can use controlled façade lighting, while internally illuminated signage normally requires little additional light.
The entrance itself should remain visually clear and the approach adequately illuminated. Excessively bright advertising can create unnecessary contrast with the façade and surrounding circulation area.
Courier facilities frequently operate for long hours, making service interruptions inconvenient. Technical luminaires should therefore be selected not only for efficiency but also for mounting method, driver accessibility and straightforward replacement.
Storage and demanding technical areas may benefit from moisture-resistant and impact-resistant industrial luminaires where the environment requires them. Limiting the number of different luminaire types within one facility can also simplify spare parts and future maintenance.
The process starts with a floor plan showing counters, worktops, shelving, sorting areas, parcel storage, loading doors and exterior signage. Individual lighting tasks can then be defined and photometric calculations completed using the selected luminaires and their actual positions.
Polaris Lighting provides lighting design, photometric calculations, luminaire selection and technical, industrial and exterior lighting solutions for courier and postal facilities. Contact us if you need lighting for customer areas, service counters, parcel storage, loading zones or the exterior of a courier or postal facility.
