This document provides guidance on choosing site lighting for quarries. It discusses the benefits of mobile lighting towers, including improved safety, productivity and security. It outlines factors to consider like defining needs, safety features, engine performance, illumination area and maintenance. Key aspects of lighting towers are explained, such as rapid mast extension, directional lamps, stabilizers and halide or LED lighting options. Customized solutions are available to meet quarry lighting requirements.

1. Choosing site lighting
Supplied in conjunction with and

2. Background
With growing legislation around Health and Safety, sustainability and the environment
formal lighting schemes are becoming more commonplace in quarries.
Mobile lighting offers a tangible and cost effective benefit for a site, achieved through
the hire or purchase of mobile lighting tower units.
Benefits include:
• Maintaining peak operational performance and production
• Delivering improved site safety with better visibility and clarity of light
• Enhancing site security
This guide has been developed to help assist quarry managers and site operators to
ensure they get the best product that caters to their needs.
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

3. Defining your needs
Clear and defined objectives are essential to determine which products should and can
be used.
These can vary from ensuring limited disruption to residential neighbours, reducing
environmental degradation and disturbing Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, along
with mitigating risk and delivering improved health, safety and security on site.
Adopting a formal strategy ensures that the quarries are able to establish the lighting
scheme’s effects on the surrounding environment along with meeting site and operator
requirements.
The majority of lighting tower manufacturers, through their engineering department,
will help support this and often work with external consultants to ensure that the right
products are specified.
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

4. How to choose a lighting tower?
With so many variants on the market, choosing a
lighting tower can be a daunting task.
Here is a quick start guide on what to look for:
1) Safety
2) Key features
3) Engine
4) Run time and operation
5) Area illumination
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting
Model shown to the right is a SMC TL-90

5. Safety - first and foremost
Safety is paramount when choosing a quarry lighting tower.
The operations manual should always be consulted before use.
Lighting towers from AcePlant and Morris Machinery offer an Advanced Safety
System as standard, which ensures:
• The handbrake must be applied before operation
• Automatic mast descent when handbrake is released, providing a safe
transportable unit across the site
• An audible alarm sounds when lowering or raising the mast
• The emergency stop button must be correctly positioned to proceed
• Forklift pockets and single lift eye provide easy transport using cranes and
Hiabs
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

6. Getting started safely
• Ensure all four stabilisers have been deployed correctly
• Check the unit is level, use stabilisers to achieve this if necessary
• Start the unit as per instructions
• Turn on the lights one by one
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

7. QR Codes
Many manufacturers are investing in technology to help advise site operators on the
safe operation and set-up of lighting towers onsite. These can currently be found on
the SMC TL-90 LED model.
The following QR codes have been developed to show five key safe set-up stages.
The Ace Plant hire fleet units will soon all contain QR codes in every TL-90 halide unit.
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting
Daily Checks Levelling Activation
Lights on
Deactivation
Lights off
Transport

8. Key features of the SMC TL-90
Directional lamp heads:
Giving you light at source
9m mast full height – 12 seconds:
Fast and efficient
Zintec plated canopy:
Tough and robust. No rusting in a
quarry environment
350 degree rotational head:
Easy to direct light, where needed
Class leading steel - 4 x stabilisers:
Reliable safety and easy set-up
whatever the weather or terrain,
ensures on ground stability
4x 1000w halide lamp heads
Strong and even light
stream, crisp light, instant
light
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

9. Engine performance
To meet site legislation on noise and environmental
standards, the type of engine chosen will be key to
help support site managers and operators.
All models come standard with:
• Super silent operation ideal for use onsite
where noise needs to be kept to a minimum.
• Fuel efficiency is the key to its success
• Biodegradable oil in hydraulic system
• Engine fluids and fuel tank are fully bunded to
protect the environment from spillages
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

10. Run time
Most lighting tower manufacturers will offer
statistics on run time and hours of uninterrupted
operation. This is quite simply an approximate
length of time the machine can operate for without
the need to refuel, subject of course to operational
use. This can of course vary depending on
conditions, type and model, along with latest
advancements in engine manufacturing.
AcePlant’s TL-90 lighting towers are all fitted with
a Dusk ‘til Dawn sensor and a timer. This ensures
efficient operation and means that towers can
operate in the bowl of a quarry without the need for
personnel to go down and switch on/off at start or
end of shift. This also helps to conserve fuel
economy.
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

11. Area illumination
Selecting the right machine with the optimal lux requirements for your scheme
ensures optimal performance from your lighting tower.
It is advised that quarry managers and operators work with AcePlant to advise and
develop an effective lighting strategy, detailing an optimum level of lux to ensure site
needs, legislation and environmental issues are all met.
A recent case study from Devon County Council detailed for Whitecleave Quarry* the
requirement of:
• “Lighting requirements for safety in medium risk areas is 20 Lux”
• “Lighting requirements for safety in high risk areas is 50 Lux”
This was of course dependent on a number of factors and the defined brief set out
between the site operators and engineering consultant.
* http://www.devon.gov.uk/dcc3242_010.pdf
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

12. Operations
Looking to hire?
Ace Plant have over 75 TL-90 lighting
towers available for hire nationally, for short
term and long term periods. Please contact
us for a competitive quotation.
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting
Product Focus
The SMC TL90 ELV is an extra low voltage
(48V) lighting tower but is highly powerful and
efficient. Compact and easy to transport with
four 300W powerful LED lamp heads offering
directional, clear and crisp light with a spread
of up to 100 metres.

13. Operations
Sales
When considering your lighting scheme another aspect which should be reviewed is
the after service and maintenance which Ace Plant and Morris Site Machinery can
offer.
With direct access to us both you can get technical information and training, along
with same day access to parts information.
This preserves the longevity of the equipment and ensures that any critical failures
can be dealt with onsite by our trained and certified engineers.
Any issues are dealt with swiftly and appropriately, reducing the downtime of the
lighting tower.
How you will maintain your lighting tower and keep it operating onsite needs to be
front of mind particularly if the lighting tower is to be in operation for long periods of
time.
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

14. Bespoke spec for UK quarries & mines
Product Focus
Some manufacturers also have a bespoke quarry specification
which is designed and engineered exclusively for use in mines
and quarries
The MM-9M is a super silent tower light and is one of the most
versatile in the market. Tested in Australia, for the mining
sector it is one of the key products for export from SMC
• 360 rotating head for directional light
• 4 x 1500W Metal Halide lamps to provide high intense
light
• Large Kubota engine output to cope with high output
lamps
• Super silent operation at just 62dB(A) at 7m
• 9m meter telescopic mast
• Heavy duty, wind down legs for extra stability on rough
terrain
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting

15. Want to know more?
Contact Keith at AcePlant on 01908 562 191 |
keith@aceplant.co.uk or visit www.aceplant.co.uk
Toolbox Talk: Choosing site lighting