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Power Outage Preparedness: Essential Steps to Protect Against a Facility Failure
- Maintain Visibility with Failure-Resistant Lighting
The concept of investing in high-performance, long-lasting equipment built to withstand the rigors of industrial sites is the cornerstone of a solid operational plan. However, what is often overlooked as part of this investment is the lighting itself.
Many facilities are encumbered with harsh conditions including constant vibration, high temperatures, dust and debris. All of these conditions wreak havoc on electrical equipment, including lighting, and can result in unexpected fixture failure. Lighter duty fixtures simply won’t last in these conditions and antiquated lighting technologies can take up to 20 minutes to come back to full brightness in the event of an outage.
Studies have shown that having clear visibility at work sites can reduce workplace accidents by as much as 60%.
Lighting As a Safety Solution
By far, the most efficient white light on the market today is LED lighting. In addition to providing superior visibility with energy-efficient, crisp, near-daylight illumination, industrial-grade LED lighting is far superior to legacy lighting technologies when it comes to withstanding the rigors of industrial sites.
The solid-state design of LEDs does not contain fragile bulbs or filaments that can easily break as a result of heavy vibration, and they can instantly go from being off to full brightness without a warm up period.
When combining these aspects with long-life, custom power supplies and mechanical housings designed to optimally manage thermals, industrial-grade LED lighting is the best way to safeguard work site visibility. Reputable manufacturers design and test these fixtures with harsh applications in mind, and many can last up to 10 years or more.
Perhaps most important is the ability for these high-performance lights to function in the event of a power outage. Long-lasting battery backup options exist—offering safe egress in the event of power outages—and contain self-testing and automated diagnostics, eliminating the need for periodic push button tests to ensure they are functioning. Indicator lights make for simple visual inspection and automated periodic testing offers peace of mind by ensuring built-in batteries are functional.
According to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a worker died every 96 minutes from a work-related injury in 2022. Don’t wait for an outage to put employees, equipment and productivity at risk. With the right protocols, equipment and fixtures in place, it’s possible to ensure safety and continuity, allowing the business to weather any storm.
About the Author
Rizwan Ahmad is the Vice President of Product Development & Management at Dialight, a global leader in industrial LED lighting. Rizwan has helped pioneer Dialight’s award winning LED lighting solutions to suit the complex needs of harsh and hazardous industrial environments. Prior to his 23 years at Dialight, Rizwan joined Bell Labs (Lucent Technologies) to help introduce industry and world-first VoIP technology used by AT&T, Verizon and other worldwide telecomm providers, while also previously assisting with the early development of Human Vocal Tract Simulator for speech recognition and voice verification. Rizwan has both a B.S.E and M.S.E in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, specializing in areas such as Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Integrated Devices and Communication.