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When safety is top priority
Did you know that the individual who inspects a luminaire at Proton Lighting is personally responsible for ensuring that everything works as it should? Electrical safety training is mandatory for all assembly technicians – along with cooperation on the floor, of course.
The function test measure the output of the luminaire. All functions are checked, and the LED board is inspected to ensure all parts illuminate.
The work carried out by assembly technicians at Proton Lighting truly makes a difference, since an incorrectly assembled or damaged product can ultimately result in life-threatening risks to users. The legal requirements are clearly stipulated in Electrical Safety Standard EN 60598. The CE marking certifies compliance with all laws and regulations.
For Ida Lindholm, electrical safety work has become her routine.
“The first thing I do every morning is run a test in our test cabinet with test equipment,” she says.
Needless to say, the test equipment must be 100% functional when tests are conducted. And the very first test that every luminaire undergoes is an earth test.
“That’s when you check the luminaire is adequately earthed, so that you don’t get a shock when you touch the lamp,” says Ida.
Next up is an insulation test to ensure that no cables are being pinched and that there are no holes in the cable insulation.
The third test is a function test where output is measured, all functions are checked, and the LED board is inspected to ensure all parts illuminate.
“And, lastly, a visual inspection is carried out to make sure the luminaire looks good – that there are no scratches in the paintwork, for example. All of this is done with each luminaire that leaves the building,” says Ida.
In addition to a nameplate containing product data and the batch number, another two labels are stuck on every luminaire: one displaying the employee number of the person who assembled it, and the other showing the employee number of the person who inspected it.
“This means we have full traceability. If a problem should arise, the customer can contact our claims department and, if it turns out that an assembly technician made a mistake, we can look back to find out what happened.”
“These days, we also try to ensure that the person testing the luminaire is not the same person who assembled it in order to get as many eyes on each luminaire as possible,” says Ida.
But isn’t it a bit stressful having such a great responsibility? Ida shakes her head. It’s not something that you can go around worrying about.
“You take the responsibility you are assigned, and, if there’s a problem somewhere, we help each other. Working on the floor is characterised by cooperation,” says Ida.
Newly employed assembly technicians are assigned mentors to help them get used to the procedures, and Ida herself provides technical support to assist technicians who have been with the company for a while. New assembly technicians are not permitted to test luminaires until they have completed the entire electrical safety training course, passed a test and received their certificate.
“It has to do with everyone’s safety and peace of mind!”
Ida Lindholm works with planning at Proton Lighting in Värnamo. She has previously worked as an assembly technician and technical support with a focus on special fixtures and customized lighting.
At Proton Lighting in Sweden, lighting and lighting solutions are developed and produced for industry, offices, schools, homes, shops, outdoor etc. We are most known for our brand “Exaktor”.
