Throwing new light on night-time roadworks

FM Conway reduce hazard risk with additional Banksman manoeuvring lights from Labcraft

INFRASTRUCTURE services providers FM Conway are fitting Labcraft Banksman manoeuvring lights to all new HGVs and has already retrofitted the system to its asphalt fleet and selected vehicles in its ‘grab’ fleet – as part of their commitment to leading best practice on road safety.

The company’s highways maintenance division carries out construction and repair works across London and the south of England. Its focus is on minimizing disruption for the travelling public as far as possible and as such, its teams often work during the hours of darkness and through the night. 

‘We often operate plant and equipment in confined spaces, particularly when delivering highways projects in the capital, which poses safety challenges,’ explained FM Conway’s senior transport manager, Peter Parle.

‘Add to that the element of poor lighting and the potential risk of collision is increased. That’s why we use an additional lighting system which fully illuminates the area around each vehicle during low-speed manoeuvres so that other team members are alert to any potential hazards.’

Labcraft’s Banksman BM3 system is the world’s first Regulation 23 compliant manoeuvring light and uses high-intensity LEDs to cast a powerful white light on to the ground in the area surrounding the vehicle – without projecting outwards into other lines of vision. It comes on automatically when reverse gear is selected and then switches off when 10km/h (6.4 miles/h) is reached in forward gear.

To accommodate varying chassis heights, the Banksman BM3 offers variants to ensure that the light spread is optimized for each individual vehicle, whilst still operating within the strict Regulation 23 lighting regulations.

‘The nature of our construction activity and our commitment to self-delivering highway works means that we regularly operate between 50 and 60 vehicles at night,’ added Mr Parle. ‘Road safety is a priority for us and we regularly review our fleet to ensure we’re investing in the latest safety innovations.

‘With additional twin lights mounted to either side of our tippers, everyone – whether drivers or ground staff – involved in the immediate vicinity is better able to see and avoid any potential hazards in the work area. Consequently, we improve safety, reduce downtime and accident repairs, and, most importantly, ensure that our employees, partners and the public go home safe.’