Protect your products, profits, personnel
Shatterproof lamp coatings should be considered a vital component in all food and beverage manufacturing and handling facilities
Foreign body contamination of foods or beverages can cause loss of profit through stock spoilage, machinery shutdown and repair costs, and – worse still – can have disastrous effects if contaminated product reaches consumers. That is why, as Chris Payne from FotoLec Technologies Ltd explains, shatterproof lamp coatings should be considered a vital component in all food and beverage manufacturing and handling facilities.
In the past, diffusers were seen as adequate protection from impact for fluorescent lamps, however, these fragile plastic covers can actually create risk. Most lamp breakages occur during routine maintenance, when diffuser covers are removed and unprotected glass lamps are taken on and off site. A simple mishandling accident can result in thousands of glass particles being spread over a wide area, so premises using IP65 enclosed fixtures could actually be exposing themselves to greater risk of glass contamination.
However, diffusers are not the only option, since BRC Global Standards also allow a shatterproof protective coating such as GlassGuard BlackBand®, a cost-effective, safe way to help ensure a glass-free environment. The high-quality modified fluoro polymer resin coating protects the lamp itself, and in the event of breakage contains the glass within the coating to prevent contamination. This also means there is no longer any need for diffusers – with associated replacement and repair costs – and risk is reduced when replacing lamps.
An added benefit of GlassGuard BlackBand coated lamps is that – unlike most other products on the market – they will operate in standard IP65 fixtures, due to excellent performance at high temperatures. The coating has a maximum continuous service temperature of 200°C, and retains its mechanical properties throughout the lamp’s life. Usually the higher lamp temperatures cause yellowing of the fixture at the ends, and may melt the coating – which can then flake off and cause contamination when the diffuser cover is removed. More dangerous still, if accidental lamp breakage occurs the brittle plastic can shatter, scattering glass particles.
Recent EU legislation requires fragment retention lamps to reach a minimum standard for active life and performance. BS EN61549 requires all lamps to pass a 4m impact test and successfully retain all fragments. The safety coating must also remain active for a minimum of 8,000 hours lamp life, and withstand a 650°C glow wire test.
Lamps with the BlackBand coating are guaranteed to be shatterproof and retain all fragments when dropped or damaged. GlassGuard® lamps far exceed the minimum BS EN61549 requirements – and with 20,000 hours of lamp life save money and energy.
All GlassGuard BlackBand marked lamps also meet the requirements of the International Food Standard and other European Hygiene Authoritative Bodies, making them the easiest and most effective way to achieve and maintain a glass-free environment in food and beverage applications.
Diffuserless luminaires provide maintenance and energy savings for Dalehead Foods
Dalehead Foods, the Bury St. Edmunds-based Waitrose lamb supplier, has recently completed a new fluorescent lighting installation using GlassGuard Proteus IP65 luminaires from FotoLec Technologies Ltd. These simple twin and single batten fittings will not only save the company energy but also reduce maintenance costs, as they are designed to take GlassGuard’s BS EN61549 fragment retention lamps, so require no diffuser covers or clips. They also reduce the risk of mishandling accidents.
Engineering Manager Shaun Thorp chose the new fittings because, “like a lot of Engineering Managers I have never been a great lover of diffuser covers, as they degrade and need replacing when they get old, the plastic clips break or get lost, and you end up spending extra. On top of this we realised the real risk of glass contamination from lamp breakage was during maintenance, when the old diffuser covers were removed and unprotected glass lamps were being fitted.
“What we liked about the GlassGuard Proteus was the five-year shatterproof lamp option, with a 24W energy reduction, no more diffusers to replace, and an improvement in light distribution. It’s fit-and-forget, trouble-free, shatterproof lighting, and it meets the requirements of all safety and hygiene audits.”