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Better lighting at work

21-02-2019

A professional driver's working day does not end just because it has got dark. It's likely that every one of you has had that eye-opening experience, that pleasant feeling of getting into a vehicle with particularly good headlamps. The experience is the same for lorry drivers who drive into a poorly lit loading area and then use work lamps to gain better visibility for manoeuvring.
This makes it much safer for people and property, docking at the ramp runs more smoothly, and money is actually saved on a daily basis. If any doubt remains, it can even protect people's lives.
Work lamps, which can be installed or surface-mounted, can make a big difference, as scientific studies have shown.

 

Decisive factors on the quality of work
Light colour and the type of illumination are have a particularly decisive influence on work quality. Swiss sleep researchers collaborating with scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Work Management and Organization have discovered that people respond strongly to light. For example, the colour temperature of lighting has a considerable influence on responsiveness and performance.
Scientific experiments have also demonstrated that people get tired more quickly if lighting is too weak and colour temperatures are dull and yellowish. The body perceives such light as twilight and switches to evening/night-time mode. Conversely, lighting similar to daylight helps people to stay awake longer in the evening and to concentrate more on their work. This increases night workers' productivity.
Light output, light distribution and colour temperature are all decisive factors for a high-quality reverse lamp. The human eye has the capacity to always orient itself to the brightest point of a surface. Our reflectors, which evenly distribute the LED chip's highly-concentrated light, ensure relaxed vision. This means that eyes don't tire as quickly and the driver can concentrate for longer periods.

 

Various lighting solutions
Halogen headlamps are the most cost-effective light source solution, at least in terms of procurement. They are available with H3, HB3 and H9 bulbs. Yet it's LED work lamps that are state-of-the-art and particularly economical and efficient in the long term.
The latest LED developments for work lamps are already so advanced that they even outperform xenon light. Furthermore, LEDs offer high colour temperatures of around 6,500 kelvin, guaranteeing illumination levels almost matching daylight. Working in these light conditions is gentle on your eyesight, helping you to stay fit for longer.

 

What to consider with reverse lamps
But be careful: Not every work lamp can be used as a reverse lamp. Headlamps must meet certain criteria to pass the ECE R23 homologation regulations as a reverse lamp. This includes, for example, complying with predefined light distributions and light values. Furthermore, it should be noted that the number and surface mounting position of the reverse lamps may vary depending on the vehicle. In our case, ECE R48 has to be observed as it applies to vehicles and their trailers.
When selecting reverse lamps, make sure that they are equipped with special cover lenses that can be used to spread the light beams widely to achieve the best possible visibility when reversing. This is the only way to ensure safe manoeuvring, even at night. Headlamps may only be mounted as reverse lamps if they have an ECE R23 type approval number (e.g. R23-003902).

 

Reverse lamps are one of the mandatory equipment features of trucks and trailers. They not only illuminate the road behind the vehicle but also tell other road users that the vehicle is reversing. They are not suitable for illuminating the working area, which requires special work lamps. Combining close-range headlamps with wide or extra-wide illumination and long-range work lamps has proved particularly successful here.
Statutory regulations at a glance
According to the Road Traffic Licensing Regulation, multi-lane vehicles can be equipped with work lamps. The most important restrictions: With a few exceptions (e.g. during road construction and rubbish collection), work lamps may not be used in the EU while a vehicle is being driven. As a basic principle, they must not dazzle other road users when in use.
Highlights among reverse lamps
The future is LED. This applies to reverse lamps just as it does to headlamps. In HELLA's Repulse Pro reverse lamp, three high-power LEDs provide a full 870 lumens of light output. Its flexible mounting options and corrosion protection are at least as impressive. Yet, if you start to need something a little more special, the Power Beam 1000 compact reverse lamp is a good choice. It has a corrosion-resistant plastic housing, making it ideal for transporting dangerous goods. It's also ADR/GGVSEB-certified for this. Its six high-power LEDs generate a light output of 1,000 lumens.