Posted By Robert Woods Are there any legal requirements for forklift trucks to be fitted with brake lights.

Posted By Geoff Burt Robert Excellent question - you get to a stage where you think you're on top of a topic, someone asks a question and you then have to start again. Following on from the question then is the following scenario. A factory sits to one side and at the end of a cul de sac. Other companies have premises on the other side of the road where there is also a playing field and storage facilities belonging to the factory at the cul de sac end. FLTs make frequent journeys across the road between the factory and the storage facilities/playing fields (not along the road but just across it and away from the other companies normal access areas). Should then the FLTs have brake lights? I suspect from Paul's answer they should. Geoff

Posted By A Olsen I think according to the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations there are requirements for different types of lighting on FLT's depending on their max. speeds. Suggest you visit the DoT website or look up the above regs for full details.

Posted By George Wedgwood RVLR states that for over 25 mph, stop lights must be fitted on a FLT. Since most manufacturers supply for a mainly generic market, these will normally be fitted. For H&S purposes, the procurement risk assessment (if indeed it is ever done properly) should ask some simple questions like 'will the FLT exceed 25 mph if on the highway?'; 'will its intended use demand a level of lighting that will reduce risk?'; 'will the 'extras' requested on grounds of the risk assessment, actually increase risks in a foreseeable situation(the use of multiple warning beacons or reversing soundes from numerous FLTs springs to mind here)?'; 'are FLT lights necessary because the general lighting in the workplace is not of sufficient standard?' In terms of what is best and of lowest risk, it is always a good policy to start with the basic road requirements as normally fitted by a manufacturer and work upwards from there, increasing the spec only for assessed use and special requirements. Maintenance should also bear the 'extras' in mind so that they don't get left out of the periodic checks. My approach is to have a spec for the FLT, listing the minimum detail required for use anywhere within the operation. this is usually agreed with the main suppliers. then the spec will list a number of extras for specific purposes (additional lighting for outside working, windscreen protection, laminated glass broadband noise movement sounders, cab heater, built-in radio, etc) all subject to pre-procurement recorded assessment by the relevant manager. In short, I would suggest that it would be best to ask 'why not have brake lights fitted?'

Posted By George Wedgwood For new FLT supply, most manufacturers will offer 'Road use Lighting' as standard - I checked several web sites - (come on manufacturers, tell me I'm wrong). I am unsure about second-user vehicles but this is something to look out for if you need such lighting. I have seen some real scrappy FLTs! After all, if you do cross roads and tax your FLT under an 'O' License, you could preducice the License terms if your are caught breaching the relevant Transport law (in this case the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations). Some License holders have lost their 'O' License due to such less obvious breaches. The RVLR do state in a Schedule that for road speeds over 25 mph, stop lights will be required. So now tell me that it is impossible for your FLTs to exceed 25 mph? So if that rule is good for the road, your risk assessment would have to be good to conclude that stop lights were NOT required within the undertaking. George