Glass Rain Falls in Plant Factory ~ The Tragedy of Fluorescent Light Collapse ~

Hello everyone! I’m Shohei.
This column is written mainly based on my field experience.
After being on site for over 10 years, there are truly many things that happen. I’m writing about things I remember, as they come to mind.
Well, please read it casually, like “Oh, so that’s how other factories are.”

Glass Rain in the Plant Factory—The Tragedy of Fluorescent Light Collapse

“Ahhh!”
Along with that scream came the sound of glass shattering—”CRASH!”
Breaking the silence of the plant factory, the sound echoed from ceiling to floor.
Everyone froze. They all instinctively realized:
“It happened…”

Nostalgic Now? The Fluorescent Light Era

These days, LED lighting has become the norm in plant factories, hasn’t it? According to surveys, over 90% of artificial light plant factories have adopted LEDs.
However, not too long ago, in the plant factory where I worked, fluorescent lights were the “main stars.” Speaking of fluorescent lights, they have that long, tube-like shape. They visibly radiate an aura that screams “I might break!”
Looking back, it was an endless battle called “fluorescent light replacement.”

Training in the Name of Fluorescent Light Replacement

Thousands of fluorescent tubes are neatly arranged throughout the factory.
“Three are burned out again today…”
Finding burned-out fluorescent lights during morning inspections requires the patience of playing “Where’s Waldo?” Walking back and forth from one end of the bed to the other, dozens of times. After staring at bright lights at close range for just 15 minutes, the “flickering” begins.
And several hours later…
“Wait, did I check this bed already?”
It was like experiencing memory loss. I thought my brain might melt from too much light exposure.
And the posture required to check the first tier and upper beds! Twisting your waist while bending your neck 90 degrees, looking upside down—it was a miserable position like some yoga pose.
“Let’s start the morning with yoga! The downward-facing fluorescent pose!”
We continued every day, joking like this.

The Pressure of Replacement Work

After finding a burned-out fluorescent light, next comes the replacement.
This is another series of tense moments. That “crack” sound when removing a fluorescent tube. Every time, I’d get startled thinking, “Did it break?!” Even when it didn’t break, the “click” sound when installing a new fluorescent light would make my heart race every time.
“Made it through another day safely…”
I spent days feeling such relief.
But eventually, that day came.

The Moment of Tragedy

That day, the new employee Tanaka (pseudonym) was in charge of fluorescent light replacement.
“Be careful, it would be terrible if it breaks.”
Just as I finished saying those words…
“Ahhh!”
Yes, the source of the scream at the beginning was Tanaka.
The fluorescent light that slipped from his hands hit the edge of the bed before reaching the floor, and made that worst possible “CRASH!” sound as it shattered into pieces.
And then… an indescribable silence.
I could see Tanaka’s face turning pale. Because below was…

Glass Rain on the Vegetable Field

That’s right, the fluorescent light broke right above the lettuce being cultivated.
Glass fragments spread to the surrounding beds. It was like a nightmarish scene.
“What should I do…”
Tanaka’s soft murmur disappeared into the heavy atmosphere.

The Fear of the Emergency Meeting

We quickly contacted the supervisor, and an emergency meeting was held.
“If vegetables with glass fragments attached were shipped…”
Just those words froze everyone’s expressions. The mere thought sent chills down our spines.
The final decision was…
“Dispose of all crops in the area where fragments might have fallen.”
Because of one fluorescent tube, crops from dozens of beds had to be discarded.

LED as the Savior

Several years after this incident, all the factory lighting was replaced with LEDs.
The simplicity of LED replacement is amazing! We’re now free from the fear of “CRASH!”
These days, when I tell new employees during training, “We used to use fluorescent lights,” the young ones listen as if it’s someone else’s problem, saying, “Wow, that must have been tough.”
I envy the generation that doesn’t know that fear…
Still, sometimes when walking through the factory, I hear that “CRASH!” sound like an auditory hallucination. Plant factory PTSD, perhaps?
Under the quiet and safe light of LED lighting, I reminisce about the old days and reflect on the horror of “glass rain.”
…But really, I’m glad we switched to LEDs. I think that from the bottom of my heart.

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