Work light applications
Electrical contractors are one of the first trades on site after the building shell is erected. An electrical feed into the building needs to be established and some form of temporary lighting needs to be installed. Many times this consists of strings of lights along the ceiling. These offer enough light to see to get around but secondary task lighting is generally required by the individual trades to illuminate their specific jobs.
All-area lights or directional lights work well for the electrical trades. When working on panel boxes and making electrical connections a good work light is critical. Directional lights are a good choice for these jobs as they can focus bright light right where you need it. Care needs to be taken when placing directional lights as they create harsh shadows and need to be placed in ways that prevent them from blocking necessary work. 360 degree all-area lights generally will light the entire area and not create those concerns.
An all-area work light that can be placed in the middle of a room or area that has a high lumen output will provide a good environment for running conduit and wiring. Numerous electricians may be in the same area so at least a 10,000 lumen work light is necessary for good, safe work conditions. Color of light is also important in the work area. Color of the light emitted by lights are rated in degrees Kelvin. It is widely agreed that normal "daylight" color bulbs or LED's are the best for work. When purchasing a work light look for a rating of about 5000 K.
Tripods, or a means to place the work lights overhead is generally the accepted placement preference. When you have a lot of workers coming and going the less things on the floor the better. The majority of work lights either come with tripods or have hooks and handles to allow them to be hung overhead. Battery or corded lights offer choices depending on use. Particularly when wiring individual outlets and switches battery powered work lights are handy. They can be carried around from site to site with no cord to drag around. Contractors love battery operated lights but don't appreciate dealing with changing out batteries and recharging them as needed. For the entire work area the larger high lumen work lights tend to be the chosen work horse and still require cords. Each style of light has it's place.