Seasonal Safety in Construction – Shorter Days, Brighter Sites
With the clocks going back this weekend, construction sites across the UK are preparing for reduced daylight and longer hours of darkness. As we move into the darker months, the shift in daylight hours presents a serious challenge for maintaining visibility and safety on site. When the lights go down, risks go up, making it more important than ever to ensure strategic, reliable lighting for every task and every worker.
Staying Safe as the Days Grow Darker
Reduced natural light can make it harder to identify hazards, spot uneven ground, or see moving vehicles and plant equipment. What may seem like a simple change in the clocks can actually create a ripple effect of risk across every level of site activity.
Good visibility is a cornerstone of site safety. Without it, even experienced workers can misjudge distances, overlook warning signs, or fail to notice other people nearby. Poor lighting conditions have been linked to an increase in slips, trips and falls - still among the most common causes of non-fatal injuries in construction.
Lighting: A Critical Control Measure
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, employers have a legal duty to ensure that sites are suitably and sufficiently lit. Where natural light isn’t enough, artificial lighting must be provided to allow work to be carried out safely. This includes all access routes, work areas, storage spaces, and welfare facilities.
But beyond compliance, good lighting is a proactive safety measure. It supports:
Hazard awareness - Ensuring workers can clearly see potential risks before they become accidents.
Accurate workmanship - Preventing mistakes that can compromise quality or create rework.
Communication and coordination - Helping teams see each other and hand signals clearly.
Emergency readiness - Keeping escape routes and first-aid points visible even in low light or power loss.
Practical Steps to Improve Lighting Safety
Now is the time for every site manager to review lighting arrangements ahead of the darker season. Key actions include:
Survey your site at different times of day - Walk the site at dawn and dusk to identify areas where light levels fall fastest.
Prioritise high-risk areas - Focus on walkways, vehicle routes, scaffolding access, and workstations where detailed tasks take place.
Use appropriate lighting types - Deploy floodlights for open areas, portable task lights for close work, and emergency lighting in escape routes.
Check and maintain regularly - Dirt, weather, and vibration can quickly reduce lighting efficiency. Establish a routine inspection schedule.
Avoid glare and shadowing - Poorly positioned lighting can create blinding glare or deep shadows that hide hazards. Aim for even, diffused illumination.
Train your teams - Make workers aware of how lighting affects safety, and encourage them to report outages or visibility issues immediately.
A Shared Responsibility
Site lighting isn’t just an equipment issue - it’s a cultural one. Everyone on site should understand the importance of maintaining visibility and take action when lighting fails or conditions change. Safety thrives when vigilance is shared.
As we head into another season of darker days, now is the perfect time to act. Investing in proper lighting is more than a compliance exercise - it’s a commitment to protecting every person who sets foot on your site.
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