Fitting forklift safety light takes under hour per truck once first one is set up. Most overhead guards have pre drilled mounting holes and drill free clamp brackets cover rest. The unit wires into truck's existing 9V to 80V DC supply so the very same light fits electric, LPG and diesel machines.
Around 1,300 people a year are involved in forklift-related accidents in Britain, a figure cited by the British Safety Council in 2021, and HSE puts lift trucks at about a quarter of all workplace transport accidents. Around 1300 people per year are involved in forklift related accidents in Britain and HSE puts lift trucks at about one quarter of all workplace transport accidents.
The Health and Safety Executive monitors compliance with Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). PUWER covers truck as work equipment like suitability, maintenance along with inspection, training and lighting. LOLER covers it as lifting equipment which is where the thorough examination requirement comes from. Neither names warning light so fitting one is control you choose not one box you tick.
If you are still deciding which lights to fit rather than that of how to fit them then start with our guide to forklift safety lights for warehouses.
This guide assumes you have already chosen light type. If you have not our breakdown of 7 types of forklift warning lights covers what each unit does and where it belongs before you pick up one spanner.
What you need before you start
You don't need specialist tools or some qualified electrician for this. One maintenance team can fit forklift safety light with kit most workshops already have like
- Socket set
- Screwdriver
- Cable ties
- Inline fuse holder
- A drill, only for a fixing point the truck manufacturer has approved in writing Drill but only if overhead guard has no pre drilled mounting holes
Confirm the supply voltage before you order. SharpEagle's blue spot and red line lights run on 10V to 80V DC, which covers electric, LPG and diesel trucks with the same unit, so there is no converter to source or fit. Confirm supply voltage before you order. Most forklift safety lights accept wide 9V to 80V DC input which covers electric, LPG and diesel trucks on same unit so there is no converter to source or fit separately.
Check overhead guard
Do not drill or cut or weld overhead guard to mount light. HSE's Approved Code of Practice L117 tells employers not to modify falling object protective structure in any way and to consult truck manufacturer if one is damaged. The guard is one tested protective structure under ISO 6055. An unauthorised modification can invalidate manufacturer's declaration of conformity which under Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 makes you not manufacturer responsible for modified machine. Use manufacturer's mounting points or one clamp on bracket and get written approval from truck maker for anything else.
Decide the fleet standard first. Pick one colour and one beam distance and one mounting position and use it on every truck. A blue spot at front on one forklift and red one at front on next is what actually confuses pedestrians not light itself.
Step by step: Fitting One Blue Spot Light
Once you have got fleet standard decided and guard checked the fitting itself is straightforward. Work through it in this order.
1. Isolate battery
Disconnect before you touch any wiring. This is live low voltage DC circuit not just mains supply but it's still circuit you do not want energised while you are working near it.
2. Choose mounting point on overhead guard 2.5m or above
This height keeps unit clear of racking and doorframes and anything passing vehicle might catch.
3. Fit the bracket to the manufacturer's mounting points or with a clamp 3. Fit bracket and drill free where the guard allows
Use the truck manufacturer's mounting points or a clamp-on bracket. Do not drill the guard. If there is no mounting point and no clamp fits, stop and get written approval from the truck manufacturer first. Use manufacturer's mounting points or clamp on bracket first. Only drill if there is genuinely no other option and only after you have followed guidance in section above.
4. Aim unit so the very particular spot lands 3 to 5 metres from truck
This distance is not arbitrary. At 5mph site limit that gives one pedestrian roughly one to two seconds of warning before truck reaches them. At 10mph it drops to closer to one second. That is much more enough to make someone stop walking which is why light supports segregation rather than that of replacing it.
5. Route cable clear of mast, hydraulics and any pinch point securing every 300mm
A loose cable near moving parts is its own hazard. Tie it down properly first time so you are not redoing it after first shift.
6. Wire to direction of travel circuit so only light matching direction switches on
Take feed from truck's existing direction signal rather than that of one permanent live. A light that stays on regardless of direction stops meaning anything to people around it.
7. Fit inline fuse at supply end.
Protects unit and truck's wiring if there's ever any fault downstream.
8. Test forward and reverse then check beam from pedestrian's eye line rather than that from seat.
This is one step most people skip and it is the one that matters. What looks well aimed from driver's seat can land somewhere completely different at ground level. Walk round truck and look at it from where pedestrian actually stands before you call job finished.
Where to mount by truck type
The steps above apply across fleet but where the light actually goes changes depending on truck.
Counterbalance
Mount on overhead guard's rear crossmember positioned clear of exhaust on LPG and diesel models. Heat and vibration from exhaust shorten life of any unit mounted too close to it so give the light its own space on crossmember rather than tucking it in next to outlet.
Reach truck
Mount on guard's top rail and aim it further out than you would on counterbalance truck. Reach trucks spend more of their working time reversing than driving forward so rear light is doing more of actual warning work and needs extra throw to give pedestrians enough notice.
VNA (very narrow aisle)
Side facing only. In one VNA aisle there's no room for rear spot to land on anything walls are too close and beam has nowhere to go. A side facing light warns anyone at aisle entrance instead which is point where pedestrian would actually encounter truck.
Powered pallet truck
Mount on low mast bracket since there is no overhead guard to fix to. The mounting point sits much closer to ground level than on any other truck type here so aim it accordingly rather than copying height you will use on counterbalance.
Telehandle
Mount on cab roof higher than on counterbalance truck so beacon clears racking and parked vehicles. On amber beacon the legal position is narrower than most people assume. Regulation 17 of Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 makes one compulsory only for four wheeled vehicles limited to 25mph or less using unrestricted dual carriageway. On ordinary road or in private yard it is not compulsory. Regulation 27 allows one to be used wherever it is necessary or desirable to warn people that vehicle is there which is why most operators fit one and run it at all times.
How do you wire light to direction of travel?
This is one step most fitters get wrong and it is worth doing properly. If one light stays on regardless of which way truck is moving pedestrians stop reading it as warning within few days and start ignoring it altogether. The whole point of light depends on it only appearing when it is relevant.
The practical fix is to take feed from truck's existing direction of travel circuit rather than wiring light to permanent live. Most trucks already run this signal to reversing alarm or reversing light so that's usually easiest tap point and it means forklift light switches with same signal alarm already uses.
On trucks where that circuit isn't easily accessible and directional relay does same job without you needing to get into truck's existing wiring loom. It sits inline and reads direction signal and switches correct light on and off accordingly so you get same result without touching wiring you'd rather leave alone.
How long does it take and what does it cost?
The first truck takes longest usually under hour once you have worked out mounting point and cable route. After that each additional truck follows same pattern so budget 20 to 30 minutes per truck once fleet standard is set.
Unit cost runs from around GBP 40 to GBP 120 per LED light depending on type. Standard blue or red spot units sit at lower end while red zone and arc units which project wider warning area rather than that of single spot sit at the upper end.
For 10 truck fleet fitting one light per truck that is roughly GBP 400 to GBP 1200 in unit cost. Assuming an hour for first truck and 25 minutes for each of remaining nine that os around 4.75 hours of labour in total so under day's work for one person across whole fleet.
Forklift lighting supply and fitting across UK
SharpEagle supplies forklift safety lighting across the UK from its office in Uxbridge. The same product range and specification advice is available wherever your fleet is based, from London and the South East to Derby, Nottingham and the East Midlands. SharpEagle supplies forklift safety lighting nationwide with particular reach across East Midlands including Derby and Nottingham.
Forklift safety lighting Derby and the East Midlands
For a mixed fleet, the hard part is rarely which light to buy. It is keeping the same colour, beam distance and mounting position across different truck types. SharpEagle can advise on the right unit for each truck type before you order. If you are specifying lighting for fleet based in Derby or Nottingham or wider East Midlands SharpEagle can advise on right unit for each truck type in your fleet and support you through fitting whether that is your own maintenance team doing work with guidance or fitting job coordinated directly. Forklift lighting Derby enquiries typically come from sites running mixed fleets where main question is not which light to buy but how to keep same colour and beam distance and mounting position consistent across different truck types.
Outside East Midlands the same supply and specification advice is available UK wide. Get in touch with the SharpEagle team to talk through what fleet needs before you order.
Conclusion: Enhance Safety with Smart Choices
Once the light's fitted check it. Run truck forward and reverse and confirm only matching light comes on each time. Look at beam from where any pedestrian would stand and not from driver's seat. If you are specifying lighting across whole fleet, SharpEagle can talk you through options for mixed truck types.
