The importance of transportable lighting in hazardous areas
Author : Chalmit
15 February 2021
In this article, Ken Eddleston, Senior Lighting Specialist at Chalmit, discusses why organisations working in harsh and hazardous industries cannot afford to overlook the importance of transportable lighting.
Representative image: Shutterstock
For decision-makers managing an industrial working environment, workplace safety must always be the first consideration, especially for those operating in hazardous areas, such as in fuel tanks or at oil refineries and chemical plants.
Plenty of attention is paid to access, hygiene and cleanliness, with organisations appreciating the importance of providing safe passage for workers and vehicles, clean facilities, and cleaning up spillages promptly. However, too many firms underestimate the impact their lighting strategy can have on health and safety.
Indeed, transportable lighting – that can be unplugged and moved around – has a critical role to play.
For anyone working in a dangerous environment, a slippery fuel tank for example, it’s imperative to have sight of the surroundings. Given that it’s not always possible to incorporate fixed ceiling lighting in many hazardous areas, transportable lighting is advantageous, allowing jobs to be carried out without workers having to operate in dimly lit conditions. It is absolutely essential that high precision tasks in industrial environments, such as quality checks and reading gauge measurements, are not done in dim light, as getting them wrong could compromise the health and safety of the entire site and an entire workforce.
Of course, transportable lighting must be suited to the environment it’s intended for. This might mean deciding upon lighting that can operate in dusty, flammable or explosive environments. In fact, when working in potentially explosive atmospheres, LED lighting is the sensible choice given that they remain cool and operate spark free. This ensures that combustible gases or dust present in an environment won’t be ignited, protecting the people and equipment that surround it.
Precision & Accuracy
In addition to the health and safety benefits provided by transportable lighting, it’s worth noting that it is adept at supplying concentrated, targeted lighting, enabling tasks to be carried out with precision.
Sustainability
Transportable lighting can also be implemented to boost an organisation’s sustainability credentials. When using it to carry out one specific task it means that other lighting in a facility does not need to be turned on. This means that senior decision-makers can be much more deliberate with their lighting without compromising on quality and use less electricity in the process. This type of working also limits the amount of unwanted light pollution being generated.
Having a poor sustainability record can have a negative impact on a business’ reputation and its ability to win new contracts. With commercial buyers and consumers increasingly making their final purchasing decisions based on an organisation’s sustainability record, transportable lighting has a significant role to play.
Cost Savings
It might sound obvious, but organisations that are able to incorporate transportable lighting into their business will use less electricity. This means that they will also see a noteworthy reduction to their bills.
In addition, transportable lighting boasts an impressive lifespan, with some products performing for over 10 years. Given that lighting carries ongoing costs with it, in terms of repairs, maintenance and replacements, using a high performing, long-lasting product makes good business sense. So, by implementing the right lighting strategy that invests in transportable lighting, a business can significantly boost its bottom line.
A Final Word
In summary, hazardous environments present some of the most testing of conditions to operate in. By developing a good lighting strategy that incorporates transportable lighting, organisations are able to boost health and safety in the workplace, allow workers to operate with precision and accuracy, boost sustainability and benefit from significant cost savings.
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