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Light safety information


Regardless of the application that indoor lights will be used for illumination, safety should always be a priority. Failure to follow manufacture's safety instructions could cause a hazardous situation such as electrical fires, product failure and bodily harm.


1. Extension cords - can be very helpful in many different scenarios, however, if used incorrectly, they can cause fires. Extension cords should only be used on a temporary basis. Check the extension's amperage rating which is usually represented as "A" or "amps." Make sure the appliance connected to the extension cord do not exceed the amperage rating.

Power tools and high voltage appliances should be plugged into heavy-duty, grounded, three-wire extensions. Discard extensions that are frayed, cracked insulation or have damaged plugs. When removing an extension cord from an electrical outlet, hold firmly on the plug (the part that touched the outlet) and pull - do not remove by tugging the cord. Be sure to use only Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listed extensions.

2. Standby generators - can be a life saver during certain events such as a black-out or power failure. Generators should be installed by a qualified electrician. Proper installation is required because electrical workers restoring power to home or office can be electrified or the power distributed can overheat the generator and trigger a fire. This occurs, if at installation, the generator's circuits were "not" isolated from your electrical provider's circuits. The most common isolation technique is to install a
double-throw double-pole transfer switch .

3. Portable generators - that are not properly isolated could lead to fire hazards as well. To properly isolate portable generators, they should never be connected to an electrical outlet. Instead, appliances should be connected directly to the generator. Simply plug the equipment to be operated directly into the proper outlet on the generator. Never connect the generator's electrical output to any live home or building electrical circuits. Never plug a generator into a wall outlet. Avoid contact with bare wires and terminals and use a
ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) in any damp or highly conductive area. Consult a licensed electrician to select and install a generator to meet the needs of your national and local electrical code requirements.

4. HID Safety
Regardless of the application environment (home, office, warehouse, et) safety precautions must be taken. Familiarize yourself with safety, installation and maintenance of
HID lighting. Improper installation and maintenance can lead to fires, deaths or personal injuries.

Metal Halide lamps use quartz arc tubes, which operate at high pressures and extremely high temperatures (as high as 1832 °F, 1000 °C). These arc tubes can rupture unexpectedly due to internal reasons or external factors. If the outer jacket of the lamp has a small fracture or scratch, it could possibly shatter, causing the hot quartz arc tube particles and outer jacket glass particles to discharged against the luminaries enclosure or into the environment. Many Metal Halide lamps require an enclosed designed to contain particles in the event of an arc tube rupture. Enclosed Metal Halide luminaries must comply with UL 1572. "UL Standard for Safety for HID Lighting Fixtures." In other words, all HID fixtures should be equipped with a safety lens in order to be UL Listed.

Follow the manufacturer instructions for lamp cycling. Timers are available that will automatically cycle lamps, either on a scheduled or random basis depending upon what is best for a user's needs.

Operate HID lamps only on a ballasts that is rated to the appropriate wattage for the lamp. Operating the lamp on an incorrect ballast can increase the risk of lamp failure.

Be sure that all manufacturer-supplied components are installed properly. Failure to install supplied components, such as a safety lens, will void third party (UL) listing. The user's failure to install a safety lens properly during lamp installation or during routine maintenance could increase the risk of hot particles escaping the luminaries in the unfortunate event of a lamp rupture.

Consult the luminaries manufacturer if you wish to add a safety lens to an existing luminaries. In certain instances, the addition of a safety lens may still leave an opening at the top of the reflector, which could allow the hot particles to escape. Adding a safety lens to a luminaries where one was not intended can raise both the lamp and ballast temperatures to unacceptable levels, increasing risk of cause a hazardous situation. Additionally, safety lens, when used, must themselves be operated within approved temperature limits for correct performance as a safety device. Failure to consult the luminaries manufacturer when adding safety lens may void its third party (UL) listing.

Follow lamp manufacturer recommendations and guidelines for dimming Metal Halide lights. Excessively deep dimming (beyond manufacturer and industry guidelines) may increase the risk of rupture for some Metal Halide lamps.

Flammable, combustible, or oxidizing materials should not be placed or carefully located under HID luminaries. Heat generated from HID's could possibly generate enough heat to cause a reaction from a flammable substance. Contact the lamps manufacture's for recommendations on specific applications. Do not use luminaries in an application where the ambient temperature exceeds the luminaries rated temperature.

This article courtesy of www.hydroponicsearch.com


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