The Complete Guide to Red & Blue Forklift Safety Lighting

Thousands of workplace injuries and fatalities occur every year due to poor forklift safety protocols. One essential way to prevent accidents is to use forklift lighting correctly. Learn how forklift accidents occur and how simple warning lights can decrease mishaps in this guide to forklift safety lighting.

Why Accidents Happen Around Forklifts

While it may seem logical that noisy forklifts would alert workers and pedestrians to their presence, several factors can hinder this, increasing the risk of forklift accidents:

• Electric forklifts, which are becoming increasingly popular, operate silently, making them harder to notice.
• Workers can become complacent, ignoring familiar sounds and signals due to constant exposure.
• The widespread use of noise-protective headgear can block out the sound of approaching forklifts.
• Distracted employees may be unaware of their surroundings, including incoming forklifts.

The Power of Red & Blue Safety Lights

These small yet crucial forklift additions are essential for ensuring workplace safety.

Red safety lights are mounted to the sides of the forklift. When in operation, the red lights cast a large, bright beam on the floor beside the vehicle. This vibrant red “halo zone” of 2 to 5 feet warns pedestrians, workers, and other vehicles, indicating how far they should stay away. Red safety lights come in several forms, including ARC, laser, and LED.

Blue safety lights shine a beam on the floor in front of or behind the forklift to indicate forward or backward motion. Depending on the angle, the blue light shines 10 to 20 feet ahead of the forklift, giving workers a heads-up as the forklift comes around a blind corner or approaches an entry point. When the operator reverses the forklift, the blue light shines on the floor behind it, removing any confusion about the machine’s trajectory.

In addition to facilitating a better understanding and awareness of a forklift’s movement, red and blue safety lights support improved operational control for forklift operators. They serve as spatial guides, helping drivers gauge distances better and make more accurate maneuvers, especially in close quarters.

Other Types of Forklift Lights

Forklift safety lighting goes beyond the standard red and blue warning lights. Here are some other significant players:

• Top-mounted warning lights include flashing and strobe lights to help draw attention to moving forklifts in low-light situations.
• Green warning lights may be used outside or in other high-light areas to improve visibility.
• Tilt warning lights alert operators when the forklift tilts beyond a safe angle, helping to prevent cargo spills, pallet damage, and tip-overs.

With over 60 years of experience and 11 locations throughout Florida, you can confidently choose Ring Power Lift Trucks as your trusted forklift partner. We understand the importance of forklift safety, which is why we offer OSHA-compliant operator training and certification. With this continuing education, your team will be equipped to operate forklifts confidently and proficiently. To schedule training for your workforce, please call us at 877-544-5438 and book a class in your area today.