LED Retrofit Ensures a Safer Workplace

An energy efficient retrofit of a GTA warehouse brings immediate benefits in workplace safety - and significant operating cost reductions.

With the pandemic, as well as because of changing consumer habits, warehouse and distribution centres are busier than ever. And this has resulted in an increase of workplace injuries.

A poorly lit warehouse can be a minefield of potential worker injuries. Dark aisles, loose pallets on the floor, spills, forklifts, and other machinery are just a few of the potential hazards disguised by insufficient lighting. Research has shown that improved workplace lighting can reduce work accidents by up to 60%.

Moving to industrial grade LED lighting improves warehouse safety in a number of ways:

• Increases alertness, reduces fatigue, and elevates mood and energy levels of workers.
• Less colour distortion means that worker’s own colour perception is higher, leading to better awareness of wiring, labelling and hazmat placards.
• LED lights return to full strength instantly after a power outage.
• Historically, replacing lights was a frequent chore and one that involved danger from electrocution and ladder falls. Because of their longer lifespan, LED lights do not have to be replaced by staff as often.
• No mercury exposure with LED lights.
• LED lighting produces less heat which, in a time of climate warming, can improve the temperature in the warehouse.

Retrofitting Means Cost Savings

A LED lighting retrofit brings immediately financial benefits. For starters, the retrofit is eligible for government tax rebates up to 50% of the capital costs.

Facility operating costs are dramatically lower. To calculate lighting consumption costs post-retrofit, look at your hydro bill and divide by half – or more. LED lighting can reduce energy consumption by 50-70% when compared to traditional fluorescent and metal halide bulbs. Those savings can cover the entire capital cost of the retrofit in as little as one to two years.

Nor does the retrofit’s value end there. Building maintenance costs are reduced because LED light fixtures last longer and difficult replacement tasks are much less frequent. As mentioned before – this also has a salutary effect on workplace safety.

There are also intangible benefits. Worker mood and productivity are also improved by the better lighting. Dim or inconsistent lighting strains eyes and cause headaches. By contrast, LED lighting has an effect similar to natural sunlight, and increases energy, mood, and vitality. The colour itself is more aesthetically pleasing.

A LED Retrofit Begins with an Assessment

The process of installing a lighting retrofit on your warehouse begins with a detailed assessment. Experts examine your facility’s lighting systems and assess current energy usage. The fixture and lamp usage schedule is mapped and your hours of operation logged and calculated in the context of your current kWh rate.

The report that ensues from this assessment will provide numbers that will please you – the capital cost of switching to LED lighting, the rebate for that you will receive – and the substantial annual energy savings of getting an energy efficient warehouse retrofit in the GTA.