Forklift Blue Light Meaning: Keeping Employees Safe

Forklift Blue Light Meaning: If you see a blue light on the floor in front of you, Stop! A forklift is coming through. Get your forklift safety lights now.

 
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What Are Forklift Safety Lights?

Forklift safety lights are special, usually coloured lights that are installed on the rear, front, or sides or your forklift. Their purpose is to warn pedestrians or other nearby forklifts that you are coming close to them.


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A forklift blue safety light can indicate exactly where your forklift is to an approaching pedestrian or other operator - Images Source: Ideal Warehouse

 

Forklift Blue Light Meaning

The forklift blue safety light is usually installed on the rear of your forklift, although you may also install it on the front. This is probably the most common safety light that you will see on a forklift.

It a common safety feature because it shines an intense blue light 10 to 20 feet behind your vehicle onto the floor of the warehouse. The intensity, colour, and movement of the light will easily alert everyone that your vehicle is coming.

When backing up your forklift, it is especially difficult to see what is behind you as your view is very restricted in the rear. This means that it is harder for you to see pedestrians and other moving forklifts.

The forklift blue light will warn an approaching pedestrian or other forklift driver that you are coming, and it will show them exactly where you are coming from. This will give them plenty of time to stop or change their direction and avoid a possible collision.

 
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Side spotters shine a red beam on either side of your forklift to shoe the safe distance that pedestrians and other vehicles need to keep

 

Forklift Red Light Meaning

Red is usually the choice for forklift side safety lights. The side spotters will emit an intense red beam onto the floor 10 to 20 ft on either side of your forklift thus indicating the safe distance that pedestrians and other vehicles need to keep between themselves and you.

This is especially helpful when a forklift has a rear end swing. Rear end swings commonly happen when forklifts are idling. The red side light will indicate to a pedestrian the safe distance for them to stand to avoid having their feet run over if your forklift unexpectedly swings around from the rear!

The following video will show how effective red side safety lights can be.

 

Red side safety lights can protect pedestrians from forklift rear end swings

 

Forklift White Safety Light Meaning

Often a bright white spotter light is installed on the front of forklifts. This bright white light can help alert both pedestrians and other equipment operators that you are approaching. The bright light is also very helpful when you are operating your forklift in darker, less lit areas of your warehouse.

 

Why Forklift Safety Lights Are Important for Employee Safety

Forklift Safety Lights Can Save a Pedestrian's Life

A warehouse can be a very dangerous place, especially for a pedestrian. The OSHA estimates that there are an average of 101 deaths and 97,570 forklift-related injuries each year with the number one cause of death coming from a pedestrian being hit by an oncoming fork truck.

Pedestrians in warehouses are often referring to documents on clipboards as they are walking from aisle to aisle, or they may be distracted by having to answer their cell phone. In addition, if the warehouse noise level is high, they may also be wearing protection noise reducing head gear. All of these distractions mean that pedestrians are not always aware of approaching forklifts.

Safety lights shining onto the warehouse floor have proven to be an effective method of warning pedestrians of oncoming lift trucks. Even if they can't hear the truck and are looking down, they will still be able to see the intense light on the floor in front of them. The light shines far enough ahead of the path of the oncoming forklift so that there is plenty of time for the pedestrian to stop and avoid getting hit.

Watch how the following video demonstrates how forklift safety lights can effectively warn a pedestrian and prevent a disastrous accident.

 

Forklift safety lights can help to prevent accidents and save lives

 

Forklift Safety Lights Can Help You Avoid Collisions with Other Forklifts

Forklift safety lights can also help you avoid or reduce the number of collisions with another forklift. The safety zone emitted by a front white light, side red lights, and rear blue light is an effective indicator for each operator to know not to enter that space. The lights are helpful in areas where there are blind spots, and in the intersections of your warehouse.

Forklift safety lights have been found to be more effective than warning alarms. Sounds in a large space such as a warehouse can be misleading as they blend into the other surrounding noises, and they can't indicate the precise location of another forklift the same way that the safety lights can.

 
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Forklift safety lights emit a protective zone around your equipment

 

Wayco: Your Trusted Dealer for Forklift Safety Lights and Equipment

If you are looking to purchase and install forklift safety lights for your equipment, contact Wayco. At Wayco, we have a large supply of quality forklift safety lights and equipment to keep you and your employees safe. Talk to one of our forklift experts today and find out how we can help.

 
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Wayco has the safety lights to help keep your forklifts free of accidents

 

Wayco: Forklift Maintenance and Service You Can Rely On

Wayco will help you make sure that your forklifts are well maintained. They can track and pre-schedule all maintenance work for you so that your equipment is properly serviced in a timely manner. This will help you avoid expensive downtime and you won't have to remember to schedule or book your service work. We'll do it for you.

Wayco also has an incredibly fast response time so you won't have to wait to get your lift trucks back in operation. We can usually have our service tech at your location within 2 to 3 hours and we also guarantee same day.

Wayco Offers Top Quality Service on All Forklift Makes and Models

If you are looking for top quality forklift maintenance and service, contact Wayco. Our fully equipped service and parts department is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Our qualified technicians are capable of properly performing maintenance services and inspections of all types. Our knowledgeable staff can keep your equipment in top working condition, which means lower repair costs and higher machine efficiency. Contact Wayco today for all of your forklift maintenance and repair needs.

"Our company shopped around for the most competitively priced lift equipment repairs and rental services in the KW region and found Waco Multi Lift Inc. Their repair rates were lower than the other companies out there and the service is prompt and professional for our in house lift trucks…[Read More]”

- CanadianBakeInn

Read more testimonials here

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