The days are getting shorter. Mornings are getting darker and the clocks are going back.
Goodbye, sunny months on site. Hello, autumn/winter.
Yeah, it’s enough to send a shiver down spines but get the lighting right – and working on site in autumn and winter can be just as productive as in summer. (Minus the t-shirt tan).
WHY ONSITE WINTER LIGHTING IS VITAL
Poor lighting puts both workers and on-site visitors at increased risk of accidents and health issues such as eye strain, headaches, migraine and fatigue. Good, legally compliant lighting has the opposite effect, of course, illuminating individual tasks and general on-site activity, with the knock-on effect of maintaining wellbeing and productivity.
EMPLOYERS ARE LEGALLY OBLIGED TO ENSURE SAFE ON-SITE LIGHTING
According to the HSE Light at Work guidelines, good on-site lighting should:
- Allow people to notice hazards and assess risks
- Provide enough light for the working environment and the task
- Enable people to see properly and discriminate between colours (particularly important with safety warnings)
- Not cause glare, flicker, or stroboscopic effects
- Not create big differences in light within an area or between adjacent areas
- Meet any special needs of individuals
- Not pose a health and safety risk itself
- Be positioned to allow safe maintenance, replacement, and disposal
- Include, when necessary, suitable, and safe emergency lighting
Did you know there was average of 61,000 non-fatal work-related injuries on construction sites between 2017/2018 – 2019/2020? Shocking, right. And just another reason that lighting the working environment properly is non-negotiable.
WHAT KIND OF LIGHTING DO YOU NEED?
That depends on the work you’re doing, the size of the area that needs covering and whether you’re working indoors or out. You might need a mix of lighting solutions: illumination for general movement around site and specific lighting for intricate tasks. Check out some of the options available at WF:
2ft LED contractor site light including 2 x16 amp sockets
This general purpose LED light is brilliant and efficient way to create floodlighting and illuminate large areas of a site, without the need for a heavy duty generator. LED bulbs use 85% less energy than halogen bulbs while emitting the same amount of light, so it’s kind on the environment too.
Portable site light
Small, compact, easy to carry around, these low-level handheld lights are good for lighting small spaces and areas with low ceilings. They can be set on the ground or suspended from the ceiling.
LED Globe Light
This free-standing, robust 30w LED Globe Light 110V has 360-degree light distribution and is a good all-rounder to illuminate any site project.
Twin Head Floodlights
These provide high intensity illumination for both general site work and more detailed jobs
Festoon lighting
These brilliant all-rounders deliver medium to low level illumination for large site areas and thoroughfares. They’re durable and easy to hang along fences, stairwells and scaffolding – outside or in.
You can check out our entire range here and don’t forget our friendly expert team are on the other end of the line if you need any help or advice with purchasing your winter lighting kit.