Accidents : The best defense is to make sure there is a lighting plan. It’s best to get a photometric study and adjust the installation to adhere to documented standards. If there is reasonable care taken to ensure safety, accident claims based upon faulty or insufficient lighting can be successfully challenged. Eye damage : There have been claims for alleged eye
damage because light glare or intensity can be harmful to the retina. This means that fixtures with very high lumen-per-watt output can carry more risk for eye damage claims. In the May 13, 2013 edition of Live Science, Assistant Editor Marc Lallanilla reported on the research of Dr. Celia Sánchez- Ramos of Complutense University (Madrid, Spain) regarding
potential dangers of directly viewing unshielded LED lighting. Simply put, the intense concentrated light of LEDs can permanently damage the retina, causing blind spots and color de-sensitivity. As the installed base of LEDs rapidly expands, more and more emphasis is being placed upon health risks associated with directly viewing LEDs. In fact, the problem has become sufficiently serious for CREE, one of the largest LED lighting manufacturers, to issue its own warning white paper. If you already have LEDs, check to see if you can look directly at the fixtures without discomfort. If not, consider getting diffusion lenses. Environmental Impact : Increasingly, environmental advocacy groups are becoming litigation activists. If lighting is considered environmentally harmful, the ski area could face litigation. Exposure can be reduced if it is shown that environmental impacts were considered and the lighting brand has documentation regarding environmental effects . This is not only related to light intensity or quality. A company was forced to cease and desist operating LED fixtures because a bat advocacy group alleged the ballasts produced a high-frequency harmonic that interfered with bat navigation. It was less expensive to replace the lighting than to defend the litigation. Try to get environmental impact representations from the lighting vendor to show a “reasonable effort” to minimize negative environmental consequences. If litigation is filed, ask legal counsel if the lighting vendor or manufacturer can be joined in the action. Light pollution or intrusion : Venues that have communities in and around the mountain area often face complaints from residents about light intrusion. On new projects, this exposure can be minimized by holding demonstrations and approval meetings with affected residents. Such meeting can often be scheduled in conjunction with local authorities like planning boards. Brands like Snow-Bright™ are designed to have limited projection and low intensity at the bulb. Regardless of claims, getting preapproval is always better than relying upon manufacturers’ claims. Light pollution claims can also be
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