2004-07-27 - ABB is maintaining a high standard of lighting on the streets of Staffordshire. New ‘white lights’ are helping to make many streets safer for drivers and pedestrians
In the first year of its ‘Lighting for Staffordshire’ private finance initiative contract ABB has replaced more than 2,000 lighting columns, almost 400 traffic signs and 140 bollards. The company is responsible for to maintaining and renewing Staffordshire County Council’s road lighting and illuminated traffic sign equipment.
New white lights which are being installed in a number of areas are making the streets safer for pedestrians and drivers. This gradual replacement of many traditional sodium or mercury street lighting by new technology fluorescent lights that give out a clear ‘white light’ improves visibility for drivers and pedestrians. The brighter light gives drivers more time to react, makes it easier to see pedestrians and other road users and helps reduce the fear of street crime. So far more than 100 streets, mostly around Newcastle under Lyme, have had the new lights installed.
Members of the public have been playing their part too. A specially created web site www.lightingforstaffordshire.com - carries regular updates on the work in hand and invites people to report any problems they come across. The site has had almost 2,000 hits in the last year and several hundred lighting problems have been reported it through it.
In total around 200 faults are reported by members of the public every week. Most come by telephone to a dedicated call centre.
Faults and emergencies
The majority of faults are repaired within five working days. However, 40 or so emergency calls are received each week. Where there is a risk to life or property ABB provides a two-hour response at any time of day or night - and out of the first 1200 emergency reports ABB was only late once, and then by just one hour.
Continuous renewal and maintenance
ABB has a target of ensuring that a minimum of 98 percent of all lights are working correctly at any one time. Each item is inspected at night once a month in the summer and twice a month in winter. As a result the company is ahead of target, keeping over 99 percent of the stock in full working order.
Every single piece of equipment is inspected at least once a year to ensure its electrical safety, best performance and structural condition are up to standard. Anything which does not meet the standard is repaired or replaced. Lamps are also being regularly renewed.
As well a maintaining some 106,000 items of street lighting and illuminated signs ABB is renewing all items of apparatus which are in poor condition or which exceed their anticipated lifespan.
Company background
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 113,000 people