ILLUMAGEAR’s Halo Light Improves Illumination on the Job Site
BY John Ball
This could easily fit in the That’s a Good Idea column, but let’s draw some extra attention to the ring of light affixed to hard hats as a safety device. You’ve seen the Halo Light in the pages of AsphaltPro before. Lately, the teams that make these lights have made them “lighter” in terms of weight. The one you see on this page from ILLUMAGEAR is about 10 ounces, and that’s mostly weight from the battery.
As we’ve reported in the magazine before, the Halo Light attaches to a standard hard hat, creating an extra ring of visibility for the worker.
Speaking of the battery, you’ll want to have two batteries for your hard hat light; one will typically last for the entire shift of nighttime paving while the other is charging in the ILLUMAGEAR Field Locker.
At a cost of about $180, this light-weight, circular light is a no-brainer for making specific workers more visible in the work zone. If you want to make your dump man stand out from other workers, this light on his hat will do the trick, along with a different colored vest. Remember that the approved safety orange vests can make the dump man stand out from the rest of the crew, and this light reflects nicely off that vest, too. Also put an LED wand in the dump man’s hand to help him direct backing haul trucks and bring attention to himself.
If you want to give the QC/QA officer an extra ring of light to make him more visible when he’s working in the dark areas of the mat, this light on his hat will make him like a beacon back there. He is too many times alone in the dark, and this halo of light can catch a roller operator’s eye just as well as a passing driver’s eye.
Whatever you can do to add extra light or reflectivity to a worker is vital when they’re performing nighttime paving. That additional touch of safety could be what catches a drowsy motorist’s eye or a backing equipment operator’s eye to prevent a tragedy.
John Ball is the proprietor of Top Quality Paving & Training, Manchester, New Hampshire. He provides personal, on-site paving consulting services around the United States and into Canada. For more information, contact him at (603) 493-1458 or tqpaving@yahoo.com.