Recent developments in LED lighting technology have increased functionality and reduced “whole-life” costs through their greater power efficiency and the reduced need for maintenance. This makes them more suitable to use in hazardous areas.

Marc Fernandez, a market research analyst with IMS Research, comments in a report on hazardous area equipment “In the past, LED lighting has been seen as an expensive alternative to fluorescent lighting, but with recent developments many lighting manufacturers and suppliers are increasingly considering it. It is thought a  “greener” option; as there is less maintenance required, and is more power-efficient than fluorescent lighting.”

Fernandez continues, “Growth in its use in the hazardous area equipment market will be driven by the increasing adoption of maintenance-free lighting, and by the replacement of existing lighting with new forms of luminaries. A survey of end users of hazardous area equipment carried out by IMS Research shows that a large proportion of respondents intended to increase their usage of LED lighting in three years. Whilst this take-up of LED lighting is significant, it should be noted that a larger proportion of respondents still currently used and planned to use fluorescent lighting. This suggests that LED technology still has a long way to go against its established competitor.”