light products - Illuminating Engineering Society

absence of advertising posters in
viewing windows.
ATMs
In just 35 years, the number of
ATMs worldwide has now reached
nearly 400,000.The vast majority of
transactions involve cash withdrawals.
The frequency and size of
these withdrawals naturally attracts
wrongdoers.The Bank Administrative
Institute’s ATM Study states that 50
percent of ATM crime occurs
between 7:00 PM and midnight,
despite the fact that this time period
involves only 10 percent of all transactions.
Similarly, 10 percent of ATM
crimes happen between midnight and
4:00 AM, when only one percent of
transactions occur.
ATM locations vary greatly, from
indoor locations, such as transportation
terminals, stores and hotels, to
outdoor areas such as drive-up, walkup
and remote freestanding units.
Indoor installations should be
located in the open, away from convenient
hiding spaces and easy
escape routes. In some locations,
glass partitions are required to provide
privacy and a view of any
threatening person.
Outdoor locations, of course,
require adequate security lighting. In
its list of potential liabilities, the
American
Bankers Association,
Security Officers include:
• Failing to install and maintain lighting
at ATM and the premises surrounding
the ATM.
• Failing to install security equipment,such
as surveillance cameras
and alarms, in ATM premises and
the immediate surroundings.
• Failing to trim and maintain shrubbery
outside the ATM premises
and adjacent parking areas.
• Failing to take measures to provide
safe sidewalks from the parking
lot to the ATM facility.
Walk-up locations, of course, have
a greater occasion for attack than
drive-up and therefore require
designs that are more sophisticated.
In order to provide time for changes
in customer adaptation, the IESNA
Guideline on Security Lighting G-1-03
recommends illuminance values of 20
lux from 50 ft to 10 ft and 100 lux
within 10 ft of the ATM. 1 Since ATM
screens are self-illuminated, very little
Failure to provide surrounding
lighting at outdoor ATMs is an
obvious liability issue.
vertical light is required on the
screen. The entire area should have
unobstructed views. Glass enclosures
are becoming more common and are
required in some locales. In some
instances, access to the enclosure
requires the use of a bankcard. 2
Especially at remote, stand-alone
locations, two security lighting principles
are of extreme importance:
owner-supplied perimeter lighting
and maintenance.These are high-risk
areas, therefore, the bank cannot
depend on others to light the space
surrounding the ATM location.As in
any area, a poorly maintained system
can lead to disaster. Each ATM must
be visited frequently to service and
supply the unit. Service personnel
should be trained to override the
controls and energize the lighting
system. Failed lamps should be
reported immediately and corrections
made within 24 hours.
When next you venture outdoors
at night, be aware of your surroundings.
Do you feel comfortable or
apprehensive If comfortable, say a
“thank you” to those who designed,
own and maintain the system.If apprehensive,
you must call attention to the
problem and offer your help.
Security lighting is everyone’s
responsibility.
Ted Ake, a Member Emeritus of
IESNA,is currently an adjunct professor in
the Building Construction Department at
Virginia Tech,serves on the Interior Design
Department’s Advisory Board at Radford
University and is a lecturer for the Virginia
Crime Prevention Association. He retired
from Hubbell Lighting in 2000.
References
1. ABA recommends higher values
2. Due to high crime rates, many
states and municipalities have created
ATM lighting ordinances. The
designer should become familiar
with these legal requirements.
RP-36
1/3 V
August 2005 LD+A 19