Seeing the light
April 1st 2005

Ian Clay visited Labcraft in Saffron Walden to discuss the widespread problem of inadequate interior vehicle lighting.

Most commercial vehicles are fitted with inadequate internal lighting – as a consequence thousands of workers spend most of their day working in unsafe lighting conditions that would not be tolerated in a factory or workshop.

The vital question posed by Nick Luscombe, managing director of Labcraft is “Does the back of a vehicle constitute a place of work?” He would argue that it does, and therefore employers must be very careful regarding how their employees operate in this environment. One of the problems with interior vehicle lighting is that there is no ‘perceived’ problem, but a widespread acceptance of current practice. This attitude should be challenged as modern products can lead to benefits, not only in areas of safety but also in areas of energy efficiency, productivity and an overall cost saving in bulb replacement and maintenance.

The guidance booklet Lighting at Work (HSG 38) as issued by the HSE in 1997 defines recommended levels of lighting for different activities. The average level of illuminance it recommends is 20 lux. However, Graham Watkinson, account manager at Labcraft says “Even 20 lux is way above what you’ll find in the field. More often than not people work in three lux!”.

But what is 20 lux? To give readers some idea, when I visited Labcraft we did a little test. Using a light meter for measurement, we closed all the window blinds and turned off the lights in the Labcraft office. It was a fairly cloudy, dingy day outside and once the lights were turned off it was pretty gloomy. The reading on the light meter was 14 lux. Replicate this little (admittedly un-scientific) exercise for yourself if you are unsure how dark 20 lux is and it will give you at least some idea. But, then think how dark 3 lux is!

Both the Manual Handling and Use of Work Equipment regulations refer specifically to ‘sufficient light’. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 21, para 292-296 states: “Every employer shall ensure suitable and sufficient lighting, which takes account of the operations to be carried out, is provided at any place where a person used work equipment”.

Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Reg 4 (11) (b) ‘Assessment of risk’ states: “poor lighting conditions can increase the risk of injury. Dimness or glare may cause poor posture…contrast between areas of bright light and deep shadow can cause tripping hazards and hinder the accurate judgement of height and distance.”

Having established a potential area of concern the answer can be quickly and simply addressed. However, that answer surprisingly enough is not just a case of installing Labcraft fluorescent lights. Graham Watkinson points out that there is a little more to it than that.

There are a number of factors that influence the lighting scheme required, for example positioning of lights, interior colour of the load area and glare factor. What companies should look for is a “project type service” where the company’s vehicles are surveyed and a light test carried out; this will indicate the current light levels of the vehicle. Labcraft are then able to temporarily install a new lighting scheme and to test, a full report is then generated to show the ‘before and after’ results.

Not only does this give operators actual statistics to work with but they will be able to physically see the difference with their own eyes.

Importantly, as well as being a safety issue, appropriate interior vehicle lighting can also provide productivity benefits and cost savings in regards to bulb replacement and vehicle battery drainage. The table (left) shows the cost comparison to produce 20 lux of light in a standard 40ft trailer over a five year period.

The average life of a Tungsten bulb is 900 hours. The average life of a Labcraft fluorescent is 10,000 hours.

Interior vehicle lighting is something of a hidden problem. Commercial vehicle manufacturers do not install high quality lighting as standard as it will increase their costs and is not being demanded by the general users. However, with a mind to best practice and the productivity and maintenance benefits that quality lighting can bring, could it be time for more people to open their eyes and see the light?

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