Forklift lights are something that most people don’t know their forklifts need until they realized they need it. It’s the kind of question or subject area that doesn’t always come to their mind. However, there are some circumstances where your forklift needs lighting.
- Lighting up dimly lit areas and corners. This is common-sense where people often use vehicle lights to light up under-lit areas.
- Safety lights, sometimes also called OSHA-compliant lights. Forklifts are often used in warehouse areas, construction areas, and other messy areas. It’s only natural that these areas are often messy and have a lot of heavy and sharp objects. If a forklift backs up, it can easily run into unknowing people standing nearby.
- Operational lights where the lights on a forklift indicate if it is going forward or backward. This depends on the work location of a forklift. Generally, operational lights are required in warehouse settings. For any other areas or locations, it depends.
Having said all of that, do you know that forklift lighting is an imperative part of the vehicle? Again, this is something that not everyone knows but it is indeed an important part of a forklift. In all legality, forklift companies and any companies that use forklifts are needed to make their forklift well-illuminated. That simply means your forklift lighting has to be functioning and working well too.
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Different Types of Forklift Lights You Need
Here are some common but important lights your forklift needs. You may never know when these may come in handy. Read on to find out more.
Sealed beam forklift lamps
Sealed beam forklift lamps are one of the most common forklift lights. You can find these lights in the front of a forklift. They are front-facing lamps similar to headlights on your regular cars and other public transports. Although they are simple and affordable, these kinds of light are easily breakable. They are usually fragile and don’t have a long lifespan like some other forklift lights.
Having said that, it means that this kind of forklift lights are not suitable for people to use outside on the roads. It is best used indoors in areas such as warehouses and whatnot.
Halogen forklift lamps
Halogen forklift lamps are a class above sealed beam forklift lamps. They are more durable and last longer than its counterpart. These lamps are also located in the front of a forklift. They are fairly recognizable as these are used as your standard car headlights. They produce a strong beam of light that is way stronger than what sealed beam lights can produce. It’s easy to install a halogen forklift lamp as all you need to do is to connect it to a connector and snap it into place.
However, a halogen forklift lamp is very small. Hence, it can break easily if you handle it roughly. Since that a forklift goes at a really slow pace, it’s hardly much of a worry that it will get smashed or broken. So, it means that if you wish to drive a forklift out on a road, then this is the set of lights that you should be using.
LED Forklift Lights
LED forklift lights have always been considered the best lights for forklifts. Not just for forklifts, these are the best kinds of light for almost any vehicle. LED lights can last a very long time, sometimes up to more than 30x what a sealed light can provide. They can produce more than 1000 lumens of light and are extremely durable and long-lasting as compared to other forklift lights.
These types of lights are typically more expensive than the other 2 lights we have mentioned above. However, if your forklift needs powerful lights to work and function, then the higher price tag you have to spend may be worth the money. It would be absolutely worth your financial investments.
Projection Warning Lights
Forklifts .are powered industrial trucks and vehicles that are often used in places with a lot of heavy items. It’s only natural that as it is used in such “dangerous zones” that it should need projection warning lights for “safety purposes”.
Like HSE equipment, projection warning lights are meant to be “protective” and prevent any possible workplace accidents from happening. It does not completely prevent workplace accidents. Just minimize the damage done.
Projection warning lights can be classified into 2 types:
- Blue spot warning lights. Blue spot warning lights are usually 1 projected and illuminated on the ground. It can be projected at the front or back of the forklift truck. These are usually when the forklifts are coming around the corner and have no other ways of letting people know they are coming. Blue spotlights can be attached to the top of the forklift truck.
- Red zone light. These types of lights are usually located on the sides of a forklift. It is usually used for the forklift to demarcate a safe area for it to move from one point to another. It’s also for people around it to distant themselves with a safe amount of space.
Individual Light Differences Between Forklifts
After having mentioned all of that, we should also mention here that there are differences between each type of forklift. No one forklift light fits every forklift. The size specifications differ between each type of forklift.
If it’s different, always check with a forklift spare parts store to see which one fits your forklift best. A well-trained forklift repairer will be able to advise you accordingly to what your forklift needs.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that different forklifts will need different types of lights. However, when fitting on the lights on a forklift, it’s best that you take safety into consideration. If you have any confusion and doubt over what type of forklift lights to fit on, feel free to check with an industrial-trained forklift repairer to see what’s the best for you.