Safety First: A Lighting Case Study

Completion date: 2013
End Customer: Harvey Gulf International
Location: Port Fourchon, LA

Project Details:

Harvey Gulf International Marine’s devotion to safety is at the center of its operations. All facets from employee training to policy creation to its many programs and incentives work together to support the mission of causing no harm to people, assets or the environment.

Chris Womack, Manager of New Construction for Harvey Gulf, shares the same mindset. He is a former Senior Surveyor with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and was also an officer on oil tankers in the US Merchant Marine. Womack explains his experience to date: “In order to do these jobs, safety must be first, foremost and ever present. Harvey Gulf is always focused on the environment and safety of the crews, so my fit with the company is well-tailored.”

The Deep-Sea platform supply vessel
The Deep-Sea was delivered in July of 2013. During its construction, lighting options were analyzed. A 1000W High Pressure Sodium floodlight was installed next to a 300W LED floodlight. As Womack examined the lights, he requested that they be turned off and then on again. The LED fixture turned on immediately. The HPS light took twenty minutes to reach full illumination. That made the choice between HPS and LED lighting an easy one.

Using LED technology for the Deep-Sea was a decision based on safety. In a compromised situation, proper lighting is crucial. Requiring the deck crew to wait around for 20 minutes is not an option. After the decision to use LED technology was made, Womack analyzed the other factors of LED lighting. Which fixture would provide the cleanest, brightest light? How could he get the safest and most effective light pattern for his vessel?

The answer was the Phoenix ModCom Hi 300W LED floodlight. Not only would it provide instant-on lighting, but its many optical options allowed for Womack to get the optimal beam spread for the Deep-Sea. The added safety measures don’t end there. The ModCom Hi has a dual-driver system. If one driver were to be compromised, half of the fixture would still be illuminated. This is critical, especially if the vessel was at sea and a replacement wasn’t readily available.

A new era
What does the future hold for Harvey Gulf’s vessel lighting? The feedback from the crew on the Deep-Sea regarding the ModCom Hi fixtures has been consistently positive. From the better light quality and focal ability to the various increased safety features, the technology has proven itself. Harvey Gulf will be using LED lighting on all new construction, enabling the company to ensure that crews go home the same way they arrived.

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