The Advantages of Dual-Light Flashlights
The human eye allows you to visualize the world by receiving light energy and then processing that information to create images your brain can understand.
The iris controls the amount of light entering the eye, which contracts and expands depending on the ambient light conditions. When a traditional flashlight (called torches in many countries) is activated, the sudden increase in available light causes the pupil to contract as it adjusts. This sudden constriction reduces your peripheral vision and decreases your awareness of objects around you.
The pupils will expand somewhat as the eye adjusts to the new light levels, but as you continue looking in the direction of the beam, it will remain constricted.
This magnifies the odds of a slip or trip occurring in a rugged work environment with sharp tools, pipes, hoses, and other trip hazards scattered along a user’s path.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), which has been collecting safety data for 100 years, the third leading cause of nonfatal work-related injuries is the category referred to as “falls, slips, and trips.”
In early 2000 the owner of Nightstick LED lighting, Bijan Bayat, solved this problem with the invention of the dual-light flashlight.
One of the key advantages of a dual light flashlight is that in addition to the traditional forward-facing flashlight beam that illuminates distant objects, a secondary soft area floodlight was added to help users regain the lost peripheral vision caused by pupil constriction.
This downward-facing floodlight allows users to see the immediate area in front of them and to their sides as they navigate to their project or workspace.
A secondary advantage of the floodlight is to provide a soft area light that allows users to work on equipment, take readings, or perform other tasks without having the blinding glare of a traditional focused beam bouncing back and blinding them.
Anyone who has used a high lumen flashlight to focus on an object near them knows how uncomfortable this can be. When it comes to purchasing professional lighting products rather than mixing and matching products from several companies, a single source manufacturer ensures consistent quality and safety across an entire product line.
This is especially important when purchasing intrinsically safe lighting, often called explosion-proof or safety lighting.
Nightstick, the original creator of the dual light flashlight, a global manufacturer of over 50+ intrinsically safe professional, portable LED lighting products, exceeds industry standards in performance, quality, and user safety.
Find the certification level you need or locate a dealer near you at www.nightstick.com.
Written by Derek Box
Nightstick Marketing Manager, Industrial Division