Why Should I Inspect My Athletic Field Lighting Poles?
Athletic field lighting provides a multitude of benefits to players, spectators, and property owners. A comprehensive outdoor arena lighting plan keeps fields and arenas well lit, extending the range of hours in any given day when an athlete or team can safely compete once the sunsets. Beyond safety, leveraging stadium lights to play after hours is fun. Everyone loves playing under the lights, particularly our youngest competitors. Going to a night game is an exciting and festive way to cheer on your favorite team after hours.
Why You Should Inspect Athletic Light Poles
Faulty Arena Lighting Can Have Significant Consequences
Unfortunately, like so many other commercial outdoor area lighting solutions, the care and maintenance of athletic field lighting are often neglected. Yes, facility and arena owners typically regularly check the bulbs on stadium light poles to ensure they are functioning correctly. However, when it comes to thorough, consistent pole maintenance, many athletic field owners have no clear cut asset management plan until an unexpected, often tragic, event occurs. Athletic field lighting typically ranges in height anywhere from 75-150 feet, weighing thousands of pounds. Even a single fallen or broken pole can cause extensive damage that’s usually far more significant than an event involving retail outdoor lighting. Waiting until after an asset malfunctions can prove exorbitantly expensive with repair and replacement costs often exceeding several hundred thousand dollars. Worse yet, a broken arena pole or fixture can have dire consequences as well, causing severe, even fatal harm to spectators.
Structural Lighting Maintenance and Inspection is Crucial on Athletic Fields
Currently, there are no specific standards and regulations for lighting inspection and maintenance of athletic fields. However, both community and privately owned facilities and arenas are reevaluating their current asset management strategy to include full-scale, non-destructive testing on the poles and fixtures around their property. Does it make sense to inspect your athletic field lighting poles? Understanding the main details of the process, as well as some of the most significant advantages, can help you determine if it’s the right choice for your facility. Opting for consistent maintenance and inspection on your lighting assets offers:
Established Health Baseline of Existing Assets
Working with an outsourced provider to establish a structural health status on your field light poles establishes a baseline of operational function and integrity. A skilled professional inspector will systematically examine each individual asset to pinpoint which structures require repair and remediation, as well as assign a health status to every pole for prompt identification of any future changes in status.
Reduced Overall Costs
Beyond setting a baseline for current structural integrity, consistently inspecting fixtures and poles on an athletic field can also help a municipality or facility owner reduce overall repair, remediation, and replacement costs. Pinpointing relatively minor compromises or even cosmetic issues on a light pole early allows owners to remedy the situation before it becomes more serious (aka more expensive). Spot treating corrosion and appropriately reinforcing various structural components can extend the longevity and overall restoration costs of each single pole.
Help Prevent Unexpected Damage and Personal Injury
Most importantly, utilizing a third party lighting inspection specialist can help reduce the chance of a broken pole causing extensive property damage or, worse yet, physical harm to any event spectators. Routine asset management evaluations can increase the opportunity to identify and rectify a structural compromise before an unexpected break, helping to keep bystanders safe and mitigate your overall risk. Do you have an inspection and maintenance plan for your athletic field helping? We can help. Exo Inc. offers customized lighting assessment strategies to help protect both patrons and property. Contact our team today to schedule your property evaluation.
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Ready to Work With Us?
Our team would love to talk to you, so we can learn about your lighting company’s goals and primary areas of concern. Contact us today, and we’ll help you take the first step in creating a comprehensive lighting asset management program. Give us a call at 281-259-7000.
