What shall be used to evaluate the amount of lighting in working areas?

• A. Light meter calibrated in foot candles
• B. Lux meter
• C. Photometer
• D. Illuminance meter

Answer: (A)

Measuring lighting in working areas is about illuminance—the amount of light reaching the surfaces where tasks are performed. The best tool for this is a light meter, and in aviation maintenance contexts the readings are commonly given in foot candles. Using a light meter calibrated in foot candles provides a direct, conventional measurement that matches the standard units used in the field, making it easy to determine whether the workspace meets required lighting levels for the tasks.

A lux meter would still measure illuminance, but in lux, which isn’t the typical unit used in many maintenance standards and would require conversion. A photometer focuses on the brightness of a light source itself rather than the ambient illumination on the work area. An illuminance meter is essentially what you need, but having the device calibrated specifically in foot candles keeps the measurement aligned with the standard practice and documentation used in this context.