It is night-time and you can barely see your hand in front of your face. What good is reflective hi-visibility PPE in these conditions? You need to have an external light source otherwise your Hi Vis jacket is just a jacket.

Do not rely on a driver to have their head-lights on for you and your workers to be seen. Neither can you hope your generators have enough fuel to power your spot lamps. These days we cannot even guarantee the electric being on to power the lighting.

These are points of failure that are outside of your control.

The HSE fatal accident figures always make grim reading, and "Struck by a moving vehicle" stands out at a staggering 18% of all fatal workplace accidents.

RIDDOR data, taken from HSE (pdf)

Being struck by a vehicle is an entirely preventable workplace accident. Can we even call them accidents when we can apportion blame? Let's call them incidents. Life ending incidents.

You and your workforce deserve to be safe. Everybody deserves to go home to their family at the end of the working day. No job is worth a life or a limb so you must consider what you can do to ensure a safe and productive work environment.

Be Seen with Low Cost LED Wearable Technology

LED clothing has been available for a while. It did not take long for the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) industry to realise how practical LED lamps are. The low power usage combined with the high light emission and use of modern batteries makes this tech perfect for continued us in low light conditions.

It is not only hi-visibility vests with built in LED light. Products are available to convert existing clothing into light emitting safety wear at an extremely low cost- PPE or not. For example, Illuminated Shoe clips that make any shoe, boot or trainer into a beacon, Clip-on and Magnetic LED units that fit on any coat or jacket, LED Zip Pullers to fix on any zipper of any garment, Flashing LED Armbands that go over any garment or even bare arms.

The List is Getting Longer…

The Health & Safety industry is starting to use this concept. In low or zero light you and your staff can be seen and above all safe.

Seeing in low light conditions is as important as being seen.

Your hi-visibility workwear may be sufficient in the conditions you and your staff work in, but is there enough light to complete your tasks safely and productively? A high powered light source such as a generator fed spot lamp or building lighting casts shadows making the work area difficult.

With wearable LED technologies, you can ensure your workforce can see well during low light conditions to fulfil their roles effectively and safely. Head mounted torches have come a long way since the rise of the LED.

Does this mean Big Expensive Batteries?

No. Gone are the days of carrying heavy battery packs on the side of your head. Nowadays, LED lights create huge amounts of light relative to their power usage. Batteries have become much smaller and more efficient. Also, you can recharge from a simple USB plug.

For instance, the Beanie LED Head Light available at XAMAX® gives off 150 Lumens of bright white light over a 10m cast and uses just 1/10 of the power of a fluorescent light with the same output. The in-built battery is chargeable by USB (so anywhere you would charge your mobile phone) and lasts 4 hours on a relatively short charge.

The light itself is easily removable so you can wash the warm Beanie. They truly are an innovation.

What are You going to do about Your Employee’s Low-Light Safety?

Now you know they exist, this cost-effective LED tech will save you lost days of protection but also keep your employees safe. A quick low-light work risk assessment will help you decide what is out of your control and how these new innovations could help you protect your staff.

Shop around, see what is available and find the right products for your own specific needs.

Give XAMAX® a call on 0333 920 5674, we are not only friendly and knowledgeable, we will also match any like for like quote.