5 Top Tips For Maintaining Forklift Safety During The Darker Months

Now that the clocks have gone back and it’s now getting dark much earlier, it’s important for your staff to take the relevant precautions to remain safe. We’ve put together 5 top safety tips for working on and around forklift trucks in limited daylight.

PPE: Ensure PPE/hi-visibility clothing fits and is worn correctly. Ensure hi-vis jackets haven’t exceeded their maximum number of washes, which could negate their reflective properties.
Lighting: ensure sufficient lighting is provided on-site, in the right areas and on the lift trucks themselves. Regularly check all are in good working order and advise staff of any motion-activated lights which may switch off after a set amount of time, leaving an area unlit.
Moving in/outside: allow your eyes time to adjust from light to dark areas and vice versa. Remember that light levels will change at different times of the day as it gets darker earlier.
Speed: adjust speed accordingly to account for limited visibility. Operate with caution.
Operating area: ensure staff familiarise themselves with their working environment in good light so that they are aware of any potential hazards (such as potholes and obstructions) when they come to operate in lower light.

Retrofittable Safety Lights

Pedestrian Awareness Lights

These lights provide a clear visual warning behind a reversing forklift to alert pedestrians of an approaching truck. Operating forklifts fitted with the Blue Safety Light will improve site safety, reducing the number of pedestrian injuries caused by forklift trucks.

These simple solutions will have the maximum effect on improving site safety where forklifts are operating. Now seen as best practice, Forkway provides a low-cost solution to continuing safety issues throughout the materials handling industry.

Red ‘Halo’ Proximity Lights

The red proximity lights, like the blue spotlights, provide a clear visual warning for all pedestrians and visitors. The proximity safety lights can be fitted to any vehicle and, when active, surround the truck providing site staff with a clear indication of an approaching forklift and the areas to stay clear of.

Amber Flashing Beacon

This range of beacons are compact and rugged in design and are avilable in 12v-80v models.

LED Work Lights

The durability and long, maintenance-free life of these lamps make them an affordable and reliable addition that can be fitted to the front/rear of a forklift, highlighting its presence to nearby pedestrians.