Forklift lights are a “safety-first” OSHA requirement. While often an afterthought, forklift lights help drivers see better in low-light situations, ultimately increasing safety and productivity. In addition to standard forklift lighting, other types of add-on warning lights can help both forklift drivers and pedestrians stay safe while on the job.
Below, we break down why forklift safety lights are important, forklift lighting requirements, additional safety light recommendations, and forklift lighting DOs and DON’Ts.
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Why Are Forklift Safety Lights Important?
According to the US Department of Labor, 614 workers lose their lives in forklift-related incidents and more than 7,000 nonfatal injuries with days away from work occur every year due to forklifts.
Forklift Lighting: OSHA Safety Requirements
According to OSHA regulation 1910.178(h)(2), forklift auxiliary directional lighting is required in dimly lit indoor areas, outdoor areas at night, and everywhere else auxiliary lighting is required
Forklift Headlights
Headlights are one of the most common types of forklift lights. They help alert other drivers and workers when something or someone is coming towards them. That’s why it’s essential to always keep your headlights in good condition.
Forklifts Reverse Lights
There are many reasons why a forklift might need to reverse, so backup lights must work properly. Like forklift headlights, taillights should be in good condition during all pre-operational safety checks.
How do accidents happen around forklifts?
Here are some common ways that forklifts happen daily.
- Electric forklifts are silent. Increasingly, workplaces are moving to cleaner, quieter, and more cost-effective electric lifts. Not being able to hear a forklift increases the risk of being struck by one.
- Workers become complacent. Accustomed to the signs, sounds, and signals of forklifts, workers may become lax in their attentiveness.
- Workers are wearing noise-protective headgear. Both workers and pedestrians are increasingly wearing noise-protective headgear. This means they cannot hear approaching forklifts.
- They are not paying attention. Your employees are busy and may be looking down at information on their clipboard or phone while walking through busy aisles.
Accidents Can be Prevented With the Use of Red and Blue Safety Lights
The Purpose of Forklift Warning Lights
The most popular forklift warning lights, blue and red safety lights, are both used as pedestrian warning systems. The lights warn pedestrians, nearby workers, and other forklift drivers of the direction and speed of your forklift. The light shines on the ground in front, behind, and on the sides of your forklift.
Ideally, a bright blue or red light shining on the floor can quickly catch pedestrians’ attention and warn them about impending danger. It’s essential to use these safety lights when operating heavy equipment to prevent not only accidents but also injuries.
It’s also important to note that while forklift auxiliary directional lighting is required in a dimly lit area, attaching forklift warning lights is not required (or prohibited) by OSHA.
Types of Forklift Warning Lights & Recommendations
Blue Forklift Safety Lights Indicate Forward and Backward Motion
Blue forklift safety lights are attached to the front and back of a forklift and shine a bright blue light on the ground in front and behind the vehicle. Depending on the angle, the blue light shines 10 to 20 feet from the forklift and moves along the floor as it travels It indicates where and how fast the forklift is traveling.
How Blue Safety Lights Improve Safety
- Blue Safety Lights Ensure Greater Safety When Backing up
When driving a forklift in reverse, it can be challenging to see what is behind you. Blue safety lights will warn pedestrians or other operators even when your rear view may be limited.
2. Blue Safety Lights Ensure Safety When You Are Moving Large Loads
It can be hard to see what is in front of you when you drive a forklift with a large load. Installing a blue safety light on the front of your forklift will help warn pedestrians and other operators so they can move out of the way.
Red Forklift Safety Lights Indicate the Safe Side Distance from Your Forklift
Red forklift safety lights are attached to the sides of your forklift and shine a bright red line of light on the ground to each side of the vehicle. This red line, also known as the “halo zone”, is a boundary about 2-5 feet along each side of the forklift that indicates how far back pedestrians and other machine operators should stay. Like blue forklift safety lights, this distance can be adjusted by angling the light. To ensure safety, pedestrians and other forklifts should not cross this halo line.
How Red Safety Lights Improve Safety
Red forklift safety lights protect pedestrians from rear-end swing. The front wheels on a car or truck steer the vehicle. However, forklifts have steering wheels in the rear, so they swing around the front wheels supporting the load.
As a result, the back-end swings wide when the forklift turns. If an operator does not understand or control their forklift, they might be unable to stop it from swinging and hitting someone or something. The red line (halo zone) on either side of your forklift indicates how far away people should stay from your forklift to keep safe.
Blue and Red Safety Lights Help to Warn Other Drivers
Installing blue and red safety lights on your forklifts will not only keep pedestrians in your facility safer but also cut down on the number of collisions between your material handling equipment.
- Using blue and red safety lights has proven to be an effective warning device to pedestrians that a forklift is approaching.
- Forklift operators also easily see blue and red forklift safety lights. Their bright light beams make a protective perimeter on your warehouse floor. They clearly outline the movement of your equipment. Other operators then have an obvious boundary that they should never cross.
Red and blue lights aren’t the only type of forklift warning lighting. Additional types of warning lighting can be used for specific reasons, as listed below.
Additional Forklift Warning Lights
Top-Mounted Warning Flashing Light. Flashing and strobe lights can help draw attention to moving equipment, like forklifts, in low-light situations.
Green Forklift Warning Light. Green can be easier to see in high-light areas, making green warning lights a good choice for indoor and outdoor work areas with good lighting.
Fork Tilt Warning Lights. Fork tilt warning lights are specialized lights mounted in the control cabin. They alert drivers when their forks aren’t aligned. This action helps prevent damage caused by product and cargo spills, pallet damage, and more.
Getting an entire team on board with proper forklift lights can ensure a safer work environment for everyone. Given OSHA’s strict training requirements for all forklift operators, the whole team must be on the same page. Quality training and up-to-date certifications can help ensure across-the-board compliance.
Most Important Forklift Safety Light Do’s and Dont’s
The average forklift weighs 9,000 lbs. and can range from 6,000 – 40,000 lbs. when fully loaded. These lifts have long stopping distances, and if emergency stopping is attempted, it can cause load shifting. Blue and red lights can give operators and pedestrians 2-3 seconds to get out of the way of an oncoming lift. But only when lights are utilized correctly.
When considering forklift warning lights, take note of these safety reminders to ensure that your lighting is both efficient and effective.
“Jimmy and I were in a warehouse visiting with a potential client. They had clearly marked aisles, all the proper warning signs, and we were in the proper area for pedestrians. But we never saw warning lights or heard the forklift coming before he blew by us, only about 2 feet away.
Our potential client looked startled and said “Did you see his blue lights?” Sure enough, his front blue light had been knocked off-kilter and was pointing at the wall.” – Tom Scott, SynTech Founder
When considering forklift warning lights, take note of these safety reminders to ensure that your lighting is both efficient and effective.
- DO be consistent. Inconsistent warning time is less safe than no warning time. Ensure maintenance is installing the lighting and keeping it pointed a consistent distance away on each lift. Accordingly, each color promotes a specific function, so you must know what each color means before operating one.
- DON’T make your red halo zone too small. The 2–5-foot halo zone outside the forklift is often set too small for the wide, rear-end swing. If pedestrians walk to the line assuming they will be safe, they can still be hit when an operator makes a 90-degree turn. Have maintenance personnel install the lighting and have a safety officer check the swing distance.
- DO use LED lights. When it comes to the safety of your employees, don’t compromise on capturing their attention. LED lights ensure visibility and have a longer lifespan than other lighting types.
- DON’T train your people to only look at the ground. Lights only work if they point where someone can see them coming. Walls, corners, racks, and other machinery can block the warning lights when forklifts approach. If pedestrians and operators only look at the ground for lights, they may miss warning signals and sounds around them.
- DO check your warning lights during forklift pre-check. Many warning lights are installed improperly. One common infraction is having the warning lights pointed at the wall or ceiling. These lights are worthless at best and an added danger at worst. When using red and blue lights, ensure they are on pre-check lists and are working correctly every time.
Summary of Forklift Safety Lighting
Forklift accidents can be prevented by using red and blue safety lights. But warning lights aren’t fail-safe and can even provide a false sense of security to drivers and pedestrians.
Ultimately, forklift warning safety lights are only one aspect of on-the-job safety. While safety lights can be beneficial, they are far from the only safety tools in your toolbox. They work best in conjunction with other safety features, including:
- Horns
- Seat Belts
- Floor Markings and Safety Signs
- Mirrors
- Reflective Clothing
- Blind Spot and Backup Cameras
SynTech and Forklift Pedestrian Detection Systems
Forklift safety is worker safety. Because worker safety should be among company priorities, it’s fitting to consider a few options. While no two work sites are the same, many share commonalities that can be met with a forklift detection system designed to protect both forklift operators and pedestrians.
One option is the HIT-NOT® Proximity Detection System. This system is among the most precise pedestrian proximity detection systems on the market. Unlike traditional RFID systems, the HIT-NOT alert system does not have to see workers to know they are there. HIT-NOT can read and warn through walls, racks, and other blind corner obstructions. It is a precise marker with two zones, warning and danger, which are simultaneously indicated by an LED light and audible sounder for the pedestrian and equipment driver.
Another viable option is the Modjoul HaloGuard. Modjoul combines their SmartBelt with a collision avoidance system. The combo works to help improve both driver and pedestrian safety. The system uses lights, sound, and haptic (vibration) notifications to provide alerts about potential interaction risks. It can also identify “hot spots” that may pose danger at the worksite. Other features include automatic speed control, blind spot detection, and forklift utilization date.
How Forklift Collision Avoidance Systems & Warning Lights Can Work Together
Several of our clients have found success using warning lights and a detection system together. When clients set consistent boundaries by placing blue lights at the same distance as their detection systems, they have visual reinforcement that helps save lives and eliminate vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions in the workplace.
If you’d like to learn more about how forklift warning lights and detection systems can work together to protect your team, call SynTech at 256-571-5024. Let us help you make safety a priority.
Because Safety Improves Productivity.
Want to know more? Contact Us at 256-571-5024 or info@syntechsales.com