Choosing site lighting

Supplied in conjunction with and

Background

With growing legislation around Health and Safety, sustainability and the environment formal lighting schemes are becoming more commonplace in quarries.

Mobile lighting offers a tangible and cost effective benefit for a site, achieved through the hire or purchase of mobile lighting tower units.

Benefits include:

• Maintaining peak operational performance and production• Delivering improved site safety with better visibility and clarity of light• Enhancing site security

This guide has been developed to help assist quarry managers and site operators to ensure they get the best product that caters to their needs.

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Defining your needs

Clear and defined objectives are essential to determine which products should and can be used.

These can vary from ensuring limited disruption to residential neighbours, reducing environmental degradation and disturbing Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, along with mitigating risk and delivering improved health, safety and security on site.

Adopting a formal strategy ensures that the quarries are able to establish the lighting scheme’s effects on the surrounding environment along with meeting site and operator requirements.

The majority of lighting tower manufacturers, through their engineering department, will help support this and often work with external consultants to ensure that the right products are specified.

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

How to choose a lighting tower?

With so many variants on the market, choosing a lighting tower can be a daunting task.

Here is a quick start guide on what to look for:

1) Safety2) Key features3) Engine4) Run time and operation5) Area illumination

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Model shown to the right is a SMC TL-90

Safety - first and foremost

Safety is paramount when choosing a quarry lighting tower.

The operations manual should always be consulted before use.

Lighting towers from AcePlant and Morris Machinery offer an Advanced Safety System as standard, which ensures:

• The handbrake must be applied before operation• Automatic mast descent when handbrake is released, providing a safe

transportable unit across the site• An audible alarm sounds when lowering or raising the mast• The emergency stop button must be correctly positioned to proceed• Forklift pockets and single lift eye provide easy transport using cranes and

Hiabs

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Getting started safely

• Ensure all four stabilisers have been deployed correctly• Check the unit is level, use stabilisers to achieve this if necessary• Start the unit as per instructions• Turn on the lights one by one

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QR Codes

Many manufacturers are investing in technology to help advise site operators on the safe operation and set-up of lighting towers onsite. These can currently be found on the SMC TL-90 LED model.

The following QR codes have been developed to show five key safe set-up stages.

The Ace Plant hire fleet units will soon all contain QR codes in every TL-90 halide unit.

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Daily Checks Levelling ActivationLights on

Deactivation Lights off Transport

Key features of the SMC TL-90

Directional lamp heads:Giving you light at source

9m mast full height – 12 seconds:Fast and efficient

Zintec plated canopy:Tough and robust. No rusting in a quarry environment

350 degree rotational head:Easy to direct light, where needed

Class leading steel - 4 x stabilisers:Reliable safety and easy set-up whatever the weather or terrain, ensures on ground stability

4x 1000w halide lamp headsStrong and even light stream, crisp light, instant light

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Engine performance

To meet site legislation on noise and environmental standards, the type of engine chosen will be key to help support site managers and operators.

All models come standard with: • Super silent operation ideal for use onsite

where noise needs to be kept to a minimum. • Fuel efficiency is the key to its success• Biodegradable oil in hydraulic system• Engine fluids and fuel tank are fully bunded to

protect the environment from spillages

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Run time

Most lighting tower manufacturers will offer statistics on run time and hours of uninterrupted operation. This is quite simply an approximate length of time the machine can operate for without the need to refuel, subject of course to operational use. This can of course vary depending on conditions, type and model, along with latest advancements in engine manufacturing.

AcePlant’s TL-90 lighting towers are all fitted with a Dusk ‘til Dawn sensor and a timer. This ensures efficient operation and means that towers can operate in the bowl of a quarry without the need for personnel to go down and switch on/off at start or end of shift. This also helps to conserve fuel economy.

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Area illumination

Selecting the right machine with the optimal lux requirements for your scheme ensures optimal performance from your lighting tower.

It is advised that quarry managers and operators work with AcePlant to advise and develop an effective lighting strategy, detailing an optimum level of lux to ensure site needs, legislation and environmental issues are all met.

A recent case study from Devon County Council detailed for Whitecleave Quarry* the requirement of:

• “Lighting requirements for safety in medium risk areas is 20 Lux”• “Lighting requirements for safety in high risk areas is 50 Lux”

This was of course dependent on a number of factors and the defined brief set out between the site operators and engineering consultant.

* http://www.devon.gov.uk/dcc3242_010.pdf

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Operations

Looking to hire?Ace Plant have over 75 TL-90 lighting towers available for hire nationally, for short term and long term periods. Please contact us for a competitive quotation.

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Product FocusThe SMC TL90 ELV is an extra low voltage (48V) lighting tower but is highly powerful and efficient. Compact and easy to transport with four 300W powerful LED lamp heads offering directional, clear and crisp light with a spread of up to 100 metres.

Operations

SalesWhen considering your lighting scheme another aspect which should be reviewed is the after service and maintenance which Ace Plant and Morris Site Machinery can offer.

With direct access to us both you can get technical information and training, along with same day access to parts information.

This preserves the longevity of the equipment and ensures that any critical failures can be dealt with onsite by our trained and certified engineers.

Any issues are dealt with swiftly and appropriately, reducing the downtime of the lighting tower.

How you will maintain your lighting tower and keep it operating onsite needs to be front of mind particularly if the lighting tower is to be in operation for long periods of time.

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Bespoke spec for UK quarries & minesProduct FocusSome manufacturers also have a bespoke quarry specification which is designed and engineered exclusively for use in mines and quarries

The MM-9M is a super silent tower light and is one of the most versatile in the market. Tested in Australia, for the mining sector it is one of the key products for export from SMC

• 360 rotating head for directional light• 4 x 1500W Metal Halide lamps to provide high intense

light• Large Kubota engine output to cope with high output

lamps• Super silent operation at just 62dB(A) at 7m• 9m meter telescopic mast• Heavy duty, wind down legs for extra stability on rough

terrain

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

Want to know more?

Contact Keith at AcePlant on 01908 562 191 | keith@aceplant.co.uk or visit www.aceplant.co.uk

Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting