[ Update: Shatterproof lamps ]
Shattering expectations
The shatterproof lamp standard – or more correctly, Fragment Retention Lamp Standard BS EN 61549 – came into force last spring, creating a recognised and lawful benchmark for what had previously been an unregulated industry. David Payne, chairman of the Lamp Coaters Association, outlines the benefi ts that this new standard can provide lamp manufacturers, industrial managers and electrical contractors alike
T
he new BS EN 61549 standard for shatter resistant lamps has been well received by industry professionals, particularly those in the food industry, where these products are
currently predominantly sold. The standard also brings good news to suppliers, as it will save both energy and manufacturing costs as well as improving regulation for the lighting industry. Fluorescent lamps form common lighting solutions in
many places of work. It takes just a simple mishandling accident or lamp degradation, however, to result in thousands of glass particles and mercury being spread over a wide area, causing contamination of valuable product and potential injury to vulnerable personnel. The fi nancial implications of glass contamination can run into thousands of pounds – an unnecessary cost in this era of economic hardship – while the human costs can even prove fatal if glass penetrates the skin or is mistakenly ingested. Diffusers are often used to protect glass lamps from damage but collect unhygienic and unsightly dust and debris, and when removed for cleaning put the lamp at further risk of breakage. Industry compliant fragment retention lamps offer the solution, being layered with a safety coating designed to protect from glass contamination during the critical times of maintenance and transportation and also through day-to-day usage, without any reduction in performance. Shatter-resistant lamps also offer an easy way to comply with HACCP and other standards relating to production and health and safety.
Regulations Fragment retention lamp coatings have been available for a number of years, but it was only in 2010 that strict regulations came into force defi ning lamp life, coating protection and performance. The fragment retention
36 ECA Today March 2011
Every industrial facility and all electrical contractors should be aware of the new BS EN 61549 standard
lamp standard requires that all lamps meet a four-metre impact test and successfully retain all fragments of glass. It also requires that the safety coating must remain active for a minimum of 8,000 hours’ lamp life and withstand a 650°C glow wire test. Every industrial facility and all electrical contractors should be aware of the new BS EN 61549 standard, which also makes it easier for engineering buyers and technical managers to create plant specifi cations for shatterproof lamps and ensure they are getting value for money and superior workplace health and safety. With a number of different fragment retention lamps available on the market, this standard represents an important step forward in the improvement of safety and offers reassurance that glass contamination will no longer be a danger. The Society of Light and Lighting will include reference to these safety lamps in their guides, updating the information as they become due, and all of the major lamp manufacturers have a range of shatter- resistant lamp products within their portfolio. It is estimated that there are approximately 1.25
million safety coated lamps sold in the UK each year, and this number and their application continues to grow. However, there are products that continue to be sold that are of poor quality and do not meet this new BS EN 61549 standard. The Lamp Coaters Association would like to draw this to the attention of electrical contractors, and recommends that only those products that are compliant with BS EN 61549 are used in order to avoid the problem of glass contamination.
About the author
David Payne David Payne is chairman of the Lamp Coaters Association, and CEO of Fotolec Technologies Ltd, manufacturers of GlassGuard shatter resistant lamps.
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