Commercial Vehicle Lighting

Labcraft have been working closely with the Commercial Vehicle industry for the past ten years and now more so than ever. With the realisation that commercial vehicles are a Black spot for injuries and fatalities in the workplace the Health and Safety Executive in Europe introduced new guidelines for transport safety at work. Lighting features very highly in the list of things to take into consideration when dealing with vehicle safety.

Labcraft are the only commercial vehicle lighting manufacturer that can offer light test to ensure vehicles meet the light level recommendations set out by the HSE. For further information please click here to visit their site. <LINK> This recognition applies directly to the Australian commercial vehicle sector where workplace injuries and fatalities are alarmingly high. The 'duty of care' legislation clearly maps out the path of responsibility in these matters and as the European market leads; the rest of the world are sure to follow. Workplace safety and adequate workplace lighting are not a luxury but a responsibility.

The Australian Transport Industry Guide to Occupational Health and Safety clearly states that employers are required to provide a working environment that is 'safe and without risks to health' this includes but is not limited to providing 'a safe work environment (both in the depot and in vehicles)' (source; Victorian Occupational Health and Safety act 2004 (OHS Act)). Under existing commonwealth and state occupational health and safety legislation, the general OHS duties applying to an employer or contractor also apply to subcontractors and their employees.

Commercial vehicles that operate in the hours of low light or deliver to poorly lit loading bays can constitute an unsafe working environment where the instances of slips trips and falls and even more serious accidents such as crushing's by unsafe loads are multiplied exponentially. It is widely recognised and accepted that Employers have obligations in relation to the working environment in relation to lighting and must a) provide adequate lighting to allow workers to work safely, move safely, and enter and exit the workplace safely, (b)ensure that there is not excessive glare or reflection, and (c)ensure that lighting allows persons who are not workers to move safely within the place of work taken from Clause 46 of the OHS Regulation 2001 supplied by workcover.nsw.com.au

Additional services
To explain a little bit more on the services Labcraft can offer we can visit you to perform a light test on an existing vehicle to give you an idea on the current light levels you have. The minimum light level required on a health and safely view is 20 lux, in all the years we have been performing light tests we have not found a vehicle that passes this requirement (unless they were already using Labcraft lights) Once we have ascertained your current levels of light output we will advise on possible products that will suit the layout of the vehicle, give you optimum illumination and meet the requirements you have on power draw.

We believe in seeing is believing so we can also demonstrate the new lights in the vehicle, a second light test will be performed and the results recorded. Labcraft will then issue you with a report detailing all the results and our recommendations. Once you have a lighting solution that meets the minimum health and safety standards, Labcraft will issue the tested vehicle with a certificate indicating the light levels of the vehicle.

Extracts from HSE recommendations
" Every employer shall ensure that suitable and sufficient lighting, which takes account of the operations to be carried out, is provided at any place where a person uses work equipment" , "any place where a person uses work equipment should be suitably and sufficiently lit……the lighting should be adequate for the needs of the task…..Guidance is contained in HSE's guidance Lighting at Work" (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 21, para 292 –296) "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." (Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Reg. 4(11) (b) "Assessment of risk")