ecchelmet Lighting up the world’s largest cricket stadium required safety of a high order
Working at a height of 52 m on a platform attached to a rope on top of a wide stadium is certainly not for the weak-kneed or those suffering from vertigo, but that is how skilled workmen put up 580 LED lights to illuminate the world’s largest cricket stadium at Motera. The brilliantly lit stadium played host to the first day-night Test Match on Indian soil between England and India, and TV viewers the world over were awed by what they saw.
The Narendra Modi Stadium, a lot like L&T, has several ‘firsts’ to its credit one of which is that it is the only cricket stadium in India to be LED-lit meeting the ICC (International Cricket Council) Broadcasting standards for sports illumination. The lights placed on the steel roof have been exclusively designed for sports and multi-purpose venues that offer outstanding light quality, higher energy efficiency, effective thermal management, and a longer lifetime.
The challenges were many: we had workmen working on platforms attached by a rope suspended high up over the stadium, shifting material from the ground to the platform had to be handled very carefully and our biggest issue was that cranes had no access to the roof over a finished ground.
Santhosh Bore
EHS In-charge
A stern examination of safety standards & processes
Since the day he saw the design of the stadium and understood the client’s desire to have FOP (Field of Play) lighting to be placed on the stadium roof, EHS In-charge, Santhosh Bore started to plan for the exercise. “We were attempting something new and so we had to plan everything meticulously from a safety perspective,” he says earnestly. “The challenges were many: we had workmen working on platforms attached by a rope suspended high up over the stadium, shifting material from the ground to the platform had to be handled very carefully and our biggest issue was that cranes had no access to the roof over a finished ground.”
Known for his methodical approach, Santhosh diligently applied all the required safety norms right from the start of deployment to the handing over of the system. “Firstly, we prepared a work procedure and HIRA after consulting all the stake holders, considering all the hazards that could arise, and prepared the necessary mitigation plans by applying control measures.” The EHS team introduced an access control system to reach the top platform from the terrace level to control unauthorized entry of personnel. An independent line was provided on the platform, running all around the stadium, to hook the harness of the workmen working on it for them to move freely in all directions. There were two points to access the work spot at the top for workmen to be swiftly evacuated in case of an emergency.
The lights placed on the steel roof have been exclusively designed for sports and multi-purpose venues that offer outstanding light quality, higher energy efficiency, effective thermal management, and a longer lifetime.
A rope and pulley system lifted the material from the ground to the platform. Before start of work, the pulley was inspected by a competent person and during work, the area below was cleared of people, cordoned off with security posted to stop anyone entering without reason. “A challenge the installation team faced was to drill holes on some platforms,” says Santhosh, which was addressed by tying the drilling machine to the platform with a blanket hanging below the drilling area to arrest sparks or fires. “We also had special type of wheelbarrows to shift material on the platform from one place to another that reduced the risks involved in manual material handling at height,” remarks Santhosh.
From an overall safety perspective, a safety height simulation with BIM 360 modelling was developed to monitor and control the height at which work was happening at the upper bowl while fall protection was installed at a height of 30 m that was monitored through CCTV. Fire load calculations were done at all facilities with independent assessment and fire-fighting equipment installed as per the fire load. “The entire site was monitored with CCTV cameras,” shares Santhosh, “and the footage helped the team to monitor safety measures by zooming into certain sections to check safety railings, safety nets on the staging and other aspects”
LED lights – a bright green statement
The lighting system features high wattage LED light fixtures instead of the conventional metal halide lamps, distributed in a ring arrangement against the conventional high mast structures that reduces harsh shadows. The shadow of the canopy on the field of play is avoided by placing the fixtures in front of the canopy and the entire assembly is aesthetically far more appealing as it is mounted on the roof and blends with the structure without disturbing the aesthetics of the surrounding atmosphere. The unique ring lighting solution on the canopy meets the requirements of vertical illumination, uniformity ratios, glare calculations, shadow-free play and spill-over light. With the fixtures mounted on the edge of the roof, the team was saved the trouble of procuring clearances from the aviation department as there are no obstructions in the flight path.
“To see the stadium bathed in light with an exciting one-day match in progress was a truly fantastic sight,” sums up Project Director, Subrata Datta and Santhosh nods in agreement, happy that he has safely completed a particularly tough assignment.