Solution Summary: Illumination Ring for Hard Hats
An illumination ring that attaches to standard hard hats can help increase worker visibility.
Description:
An illumination ring for hard hats is a personal protective gear that fits on any standard hard hat and produces a 360º ring of light around the wearer to be seen from up to a quarter mile away. In addition to providing illumnation for personal workspace, it also includes a 50-foot spotlight.
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HALO – full brightness in 360 degrees to help you see and be seen in all directions
Example Use: moving around and performing a number of jobs around a job site -
HI-ALERT – provides a unique visual identifier by flashing the light in a 360-degree spin to maximize your chance to be seen by others
Example Use: flagging or operating around cranes, moving vehicles and machinery -
TASK – maximum brightness on the front third to illuminate your immediate work area out to the visual periphery
Example Use: working on a specific task in a darkened area -
DIM – a low-power, 360-degree light when working in close proximity to others
Example Use: having a face-to-face conversation with another person
- See more at: http://illumagear.com/safety-products/the-halo-light#sthash.e6JLIApf.dpuf
High-visibility safety apparel utilizes fluorescent colors and retroflective material to help increase worker visibility but may require a secondary light source to activate those safety properties. However, an illumination ring for hard hats, such as HALO SL from Illumagear, can provide active illumination and maximize the effectiveness of worker visiblity when used in combination with passive high-visibility safety apparel (figure 1).
Figure 1. Illumagear product worn with high-visibility apparel. (Photo courtesy of Illumagear, Inc.)
The HALO SL can produce up to 276 lumens for 360 degrees in the max light mode. Underneath the ring, it incorporates two task lights angled to illuminate a personal workspace and walking area for up to 262 lumens. In addition, the center of the HALO SL also includes a 406 lumens spotlight that can illuminate work areas at a distance up to 50 feet.
Weighing in at 10 ounces, the HALO SL has a battery life ranging from 1.5 to 121+ hours powered by a rechargeable single lithium ion 18650 cell (charger included). It is IP67 rated for dust-proof and water resistant. Figure 2 is a non-exhaustive list of some hard hat manufacturers that HALSO SL is compatible with.
Figure 2. Example of compatible hard hats for the HALO SL. (Photo courtesy of Illumagear, Inc.)
Risks Addressed:
Working in road construction sites has an increased risk of work zone struck-by injuries and fatalities. Based on preliminary CFOI data, there were 116 work-related fatalities at road construction sites in the U.S. in 2014. In The Construction Chart Book 5th edition published by CPWR, Chapter 46 shows vehicles were the source of more than half of the fatalities at road construction sites - double the proportion of such deaths in the overall construction industry from 2008 - 2010 (graph 46b). Among fatalities involving vehicles and heavy equipment at road construction sites, most were workers on foot or non-passengers who were struck by vehicles or heavy equipment in the work zone or passing vehicles that entered the work zone. Utilizing high-visibility personal protective gear can help increase worker visibility to help prevent work zone struck-by injuries.
How Risks are Reduced:
In addition to wearing High-visibility safety apparel, the active illumination can have an additive effect in serving as an extra stimulus to heighten driver awareness to the presence of construction workers in work zones.
Additional Considerations:
There is no regulations for active personal lighting in construction zones. OSHA has minimum requirements for area lighting which can be found in OSHA 1926.56. Area lighting is based on the idea of blanketing an area of the jobsite in light, thereby generally illuminating all work areas and personnel at all times. However, accomplishing this may be challenging as workers and equipment are constantly moving around dynamic construction jobsites. In reality, area lighting serves a purpose but it does not actively illuminate all workers or all work areas at all times. In all, one should note using this equipment cannot replace illumination of all work areas suggested by OSHA.
For personnel, OSHA mandates no minimum requirements for active illumination. Instead, OSHA defers to ANSI's retroreflective standards. ANSI presently focuses all high-visibility requirements based on fluorescent and retroreflective materials.
The Halo Light is not UL listed for hazardous locations such as combustible fibers, dusts, and flammable liquids such as spilled fuel or oil. Remove Halo Light during vehicle repair operations or fuel spills. However, Illumagear intends to introduce an intrinsically safe version of the product for potentially explosive environments in the future.
The Halo light does have an IP Rating of 67 to protect against dust, dirt, and water.
The components including the LED, battery pack, charger and lighting components have been tested to IEC standards.
As is the case with any construction equipment, users should follow manufacturer safety recommendations and comply with any applicable local, state or federal regulations.
Illumagear did not specifically describe personal protective equipment during disposal and clean up of a damaged Halo Light.
Availability
NIOSH Workplace Solutions Sheet
The National Institute of Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published a series of “Workplace Solutions”, which are easy-to-understand recommendations from NIOSH research results. Related to this Construction Solution, please find more information on:
Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths from Backing Construction Vehicles and Equipment at Roadway Construction Worksites
Illumagear, Inc.
To obtain information, visit HALO SL
or contact 1-206-973-4277
