A utility worker is going to spend quite a few hours working in the dark, often amid an emergency. They have a critical job to do as quickly as possible. They don’t want to be dragging all kinds of equipment around. When it comes to lighting, they want something brighter and can be deployed faster. It’s all about safety.
“Utility workers often use a variety of lighting solutions depending on the situation at hand,” says Aaron Freund, Director of Sales - Industrial & Fire Divisions at Streamlight. “Whether they are responding to a power outage, downed power lines, or a gas leak, they will take several lights to assist with pinpointing the problem and lighting the area.”
Three common lighting types include:
1. Handheld spotlights – helpful when searching from the ground up to overhead utility lines.
2. Hands-free headlamps – helpful when sufficient straight-ahead light is needed while engaged in two-handed tasks.
3. Hands-free clampable work lights – helpful when needing to quickly set up a stationary spotlight or floodlight to illuminate a work area.
As an example, Streamlight’s handheld pistol-grip BearTrap 360 Work Light and Waypoint 400 are excellent choices. The Waypoint 400 is a rechargeable high-lumen spotlight that can shine up to 1,400 lumens up to 1,265 meters (4,150 feet).
Their Enduro PRO HAZ-LO headlamp fits easily around hardhats and is Class I, Division 1 safety-rated for use in potentially hazardous work environments. It offers three modes: spot for distance, flood for area illumination, and a spot/flood combination for increased light output.
Another hands-free option from Streamlight is its BearTrap 360 Work Light. New in 2024, this light can rotate 360° horizontally and pivot 270° vertically. This allows utility workers to direct light to wherever it’s needed. The BearTrap 360 clamps to virtually any surface, and can also stand on its own. It can be used as either a spotlight or a floodlight.
In some instances, additional types of specialized lighting gear could be a utility worker’s best choice. Here’s a look at some of the more trendy options.
Balloon lighting
The safety aspect of lighting gear relates to not only the utility worker but also any motorists happening upon a worksite. Traditional work zone lighting can be pretty bright, oftentimes blinding to oncoming traffic. Balloon lighting, on the other hand, is diffused lighting. It provides 360° of light, as opposed to a direct line of light that could shine into someone’s eyes.
Some states require the use of balloon lighting in certain work zones. Aside from complying with regulatory mandates, balloon lighting offers other benefits, too. For starters, it provides smooth, shadow-free illumination. Balloon lighting is also less energy-intensive, easier to transport than some worksite lighting fixtures, and quick to set up.
A balloon light does require electricity to operate. Flaggers and utilities typically utilize a stand that reaches 12 to 18 feet high and can be transported in its golf bag-size carrying case. Once the stand and balloon light are set up, a cable runs from the light to an on-site utility truck. Some utility crews like to plug a 1,000-watt inverter into the lighter in their truck, allowing them to run two 300- to 400-watt balloon lights off of that inverter.
Remote control lights
Golight provides a variety of fixed lighting gear. What distinguishes the company, though, is its lineup of remote control lights.
“Our remote control solution can be placed on the roof or hood of a truck or even a headache rack,” says Jason Repass, Sales Manager at Golight. “The utility worker can keep a wireless remote with them whether they are in the cab of the truck, up in a bucket, or 100 feet away on the jobsite. They don’t need to rely on a second person whose sole job is to manipulate the light for them while their head is in between powerlines.”
Repass says Golight strives to make its remote control lights versatile and easy to use, which includes how the lights themselves are mounted. “You can buy any of our lights with either a permanent or portable setup,” Repass points out.
The portable versions are magnetic. This allows a utility worker to pull a light out of their toolbox and connect it to any metal surface on a jobsite, such as a truck roof. However, changes by some truck manufacturers have prompted Golight to develop some adaptations. For example, to accommodate aluminum truck bodies, an additional accessory is needed. “It’s a small steel plate with several strips of double-sided tape,” Repass explains. “This is also a good option for utility workers driving trucks with fiberglass hoods.”
The big benefit of a portable mount is that it allows a utility worker to utilize the same remote control light across several vehicles. Another benefit relates to lease vehicles where a contractor doesn’t want to permanently mount fixtures. A third benefit is that lights can easily be taken down and stowed away when not in use. This reduces the possibility of damage or theft.
Repass says it’s important to recognize the benefits of permanently mounted lights, too. First, the utility worker saves time because no setup is required. Secondly, there is no worry about forgetting light fixtures on jobsites.
Wearable safety lights
Another unique piece of lighting gear is a wearable safety light. A headlamp is a common example. However, a company called Archangel Device has taken the concept of wearable lighting to another level.
“Our type of product has the most value when workers are in potentially dangerous situations and need to be seen, but also need to see things themselves to do their work,” says Chadwick Keller, President and CEO of Archangel Device, Maker of Guardian Angel wearable safety lights.
Utility workers will also benefit from wearable lighting gear that is comfortable and versatile.
“Utility workers don’t want something big and bulky,” Keller says. “You can wear our light anywhere on your person.” The Guardian Angel Elite Series is just 2 to 2.5 inches in size and weighs approximately 5 ounces with the mount.
Archangel Device has also created a series of mounts that allow Guardian Angel lights to be mounted on another object. The secret is the magnetic mount with 20 pounds of pressure that can be positioned under clothing as well as on a hard hat or belt. And because the Guardian Angel light itself is magnetic, it can be affixed to anything metallic, giving utility workers a simple way to light up specific work areas. “Powerline workers will often mount our light in their lift bucket to give them some extra lighting while up in the air,” Keller says.
When worn on a shoulder or hardhat, Keller says most utility workers set the forward-facing light to white, allowing it to function as a floodlight. “Even if you’re walking down a very dark street, you’ll easily see 50 to 60 feet in front of you in a nice, big spread of light,” Keller points out.
There is a personal safety aspect to the Guardian Angel, as well. A study from the Battelle Memorial Institute published in January 2024, commissioned by Guardian Angel, showed that a Guardian Angel light, worn in conjunction with a hi-vis vest, is 89% more visible to drivers than a vest alone. Additionally, the study showed that 100% of drivers slowed down and/or moved over when seeing a worker wearing a Guardian Angel Elite Series light.
Guardian Angel’s rear-facing light can be activated simultaneously to enhance personal visibility in every direction for up to 5 miles. Keller says utility workers often choose yellow, green, amber, or orange. Simple push-button operation allows any light to be activated.
More lighting gear options for utility workers
As you can see, there is a variety of innovative lighting gear to help utility workers stay safe and productive in the dark. Each provides its own set of benefits in different applications. Traditional lighting gear such as fixed spotlights, headlamps, flashlights, and lanterns can also come in handy. Here is a look at some more of the best lighting gear for utility workers.
Aircraft Dynamics Robolights are offered in a variety of styles including helmet lights, handheld lights, and scene lighting. The company also offers a clever Robolight Bucket Holder for convenient use of a handheld light in an aerial bucket.
pi-lit Sequential Cone-Top Lamps are a simple and effective way to guide vehicle traffic away from workers. A simple insert makes them easy to install. Drivers see these runway-like lamps marching in sequence and naturally follow their direction.
TecNiq offers a variety of LED emergency lighting systems for trucks and trailers, as well as scene and work lighting. Its K10 beacon for work trucks is available in single or multiple flash patterns and can be ordered with an optional chrome brush guard for added durability.
Nightstick offers flashlights, lanterns, angle lights, headlamps, traffic wands, and more. Its XPR-5592GCX Rechargeable LED Scene Light Kit is ideal for use when portability is essential. It features a magnetic base to provide 360° of hands-free rotation for proper light placement on any jobsite. The accompanying kit includes an adjustable steel handle for carrying or hanging, along with a 6-foot tripod.
All-Terrain LENTRY Lighting Systems from Ventry Solutions are mobile, telescopic units that light large areas for hours at a time using either LED or halogen lights.
KBS Innovations, whose brands include BrightStar, Koehler, and KBS Power Solutions, offers a range of lighting solutions including flashlights, headlamps, right-angle lights, and area lights. The BrightStar Freakin’ Beacon is a palm-sized personal safety beacon that can be seen from more than 1,000 feet away.
Ver-Mac manufactures mobile electronic traffic control equipment and lighting/security equipment, including variable message signs, temporary traffic signals, and light towers.
Whelen Engineering provides lighting gear such as vehicle lightbars, beacons, and the Arges Remote Spotlight designed with first responder safety in mind. Arges features 360° of continuous rotation and a 180° tilt range for added flexibility in light control.
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