Proper lighting at the construction site is very important for the safety for not only the workers working at the site, but also to protect accidents against gear and equipment used. In the evening it can protect workers from dangers along with the passersby by improving their visibility. The government has designed a set of standards to ensure construction lighting at worksites.
Types for worksite lighting
At worksites various types of lighting arrangements are done like:
General Lighting: The light spread over the entire place of work is known as generalized lighting. For instance, the light provided by overhead fixtures in a factory area can come in this category of lighting. The main purpose of this lighting is to allow workers and other people to move comfortably in the entire premises. At construction sites, hallways at worksites and warehouses the minimum illumination of general lighting should not be les than 5 candle feet but in work and equipment rooms, shops, machining area and physical plants it should be 10 candle feet and minimum 30 candle feet in offices.
Task Lighting: The lighting focused on specific area to do a particular work is known as task lighting. At construction sites the light used in the machining areas and the areas where workers are performing their duty like on shafts, tunnels, and general underground work areas etc. comes in this category. It should not be less than 5 candle feet.
Emergency lighting: The light coming from a reserve source that switches on when the light from regular source is not available all of a sudden is known as emergency lighting. Such lights are normally found in warehouses, exit ways, corridors, and hallways etc. Its minimum illumination should be 5 candle feet.
Types of construction lighting fixtures
Different types of construction lighting fixtures are used depending upon the site of work they are used on.
High Mast Lights: These lights are installed on semi-permanent basis on an up to 100 feet tall pole supported by a luminary ring. To cover a larger area it may contain 4-8 lights.
Light Towers: These towers are commonly used as construction lighting options to cover wider areas. They usually include a mast with adjustable height of up to 30 feet and a group of lighting fixtures that can be rotated in 360 degrees along with a generator. These days, light towers powered by solar energy are also in use as they can work up to 36 hours without needing any generator. They can also be relocated easily
Balloon Lights: These lights are normally used to mount on vehicles and equipment as well as at workstations. They include helium or air inflated covers placed on stands. These covers are made of materials that diffuse light.
Nite Lights: This construction lighting option has been approved recently. They include 400 watt metal halide lamps covered with a light-diffusing cloth to create sufficient light with softer effects.
LED Lights: Today LED lighting is widely used to get better lighting in any environment efficiently for a long time. it is cheaper lighting option for worksites as compared to traditional lighting options including CFL etc. It can reduce construction lighting cost up to 75-80%.
These various types of construction lighting fixtures are used to illuminate work sites.