A loading dock is four lighting jobs in one place: the yard and apron where trucks back in, the door line where drivers and forklifts move between daylight and shade, the interior platform where goods are checked, and the inside of the trailer. Each zone needs a different fixture. This page lists what Auvolar sells for each zone with the published output of every model, explains which OSHA rules actually apply, and shows how to confirm the result with a photometric layout before you buy. For the warehouse floor beyond the dock see warehouse lighting.
1. What the rules actually say
OSHA has confirmed in an interpretation letter that its standards "in general" do not set minimum illumination levels outside specific rules such as HAZWOPER's Table H-120.1, and it suggested "at least five (5) foot-candles would be appropriate as a guide for indoor storage operations" [S13]. Three federal rules are relevant to a dock, and none sets a foot-candle number for a working dock in general industry:
- Exit routes (29 CFR 1910.37) — "Each exit route must be adequately lighted so that an employee with normal vision can see along the exit route" [S1]. If a dock door is part of an exit route, it must be lit and marked as one.
- Forklifts (29 CFR 1910.178(h)(2)) — "Where general lighting is less than 2 lumens per square foot, auxiliary directional lighting shall be provided on the truck" [S14]; 2 lumens per square foot is 2 foot-candles, so a dock lit below that level shifts the burden onto the trucks.
- Construction sites (29 CFR 1926.56, Table D-3) — applies only while construction work is in progress, but it is the one federal table with numbers: 3 foot-candles for "loading platforms" and "access ways", 5 foot-candles for "Indoors: warehouses, corridors, hallways, and exitways" [S2]. OSHA proposed rescinding this section in July 2025 (docket OSHA-2025-0040); as of October 2026 no final rule has been published and the section remains in force [S16].
Design targets above those minimums come from the IES recommended practice for industrial lighting (ANSI/IES RP-7-21, Lighting Industrial Facilities [S15]) and from your insurer or customer requirements; they are not federal law. Rather than quoting a single number here, run the layout for your dock in LightSpec AI and set the target with your safety lead.
2. Zone by zone: which fixture does what
Zone A — Dock apron and truck yard (outdoor, pole or wall mounted)
Trucks back toward the building at night; drivers need to see the dock bumpers, the leveler and the painted lines, without a glare source in the mirrors.
| Fixture | Output (published) | Why here |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustable Flood Light A-FL — 60/80/100 W or 80/100/150 W selectable | 8,400 / 11,200 / 14,000 / 21,000 lm; 140 lm/W; field-adjustable beam; IP65; 120–277 V; 0–10 V dimming; slip-fitter or trunnion mount; UL Listed [S3] | Aim it down the apron from the building face or a pole; the adjustable beam lets you narrow the throw to the truck lane |
| Wall Pack A-WP 60–150 W — 60/90/100/120 W or 80/100/120/150 W selectable | 9,000–22,500 lm; 150 lm/W; Type IV distribution; 120–277 V [S4] | Forward-throw wall pack for the dock face between doors |
| Wall Pack AN-FWP 100/150 W | 13,000 / 19,500 lm; 130 lm/W; full cut-off; 120–277 V [S5] | Full cut-off version where light must not spill toward neighbouring property or the drivers' eyes |
Zone B — Door line and canopy (the daylight-to-shade transition)
The bright/dark transition at the door is where forklifts and pedestrians meet. The goal is to lift the shaded area under the canopy or just inside the door so the eye does not have to adapt.
| Fixture | Output (published) | Why here |
|---|---|---|
| Garage & Canopy Light IDA Series — 40 W / 60 W | 5,200 / 7,800 lm; 130 lm/W; IP65; 100–277 V [S6] | Surface-mounted under a dock canopy |
| Barn Light AN-BL Series (barn lights category) — 40/60/70 W | 120 lm/W; 150° beam; 3500/4000/5000 K selectable; IP65; 120–277 V or 120–347 V; 0–10 V; optional photocell [S7] | Wall/arm-mounted wide-beam light over single dock doors; the product page positions it as a replacement for 175–250 W HID dusk-to-dawn lights [S7] |
Zone C — Interior dock platform and staging
Indoors but exposed to weather blown through open doors, forklift traffic and washdown: the fixture must be sealed and impact-tolerant.
| Fixture | Output (published) | Why here |
|---|---|---|
| Vapor Tight Strip AN-VF4FT 40 W (vapor-tight category) — 4 ft | 5,200 lm; 130 lm/W; 5000 K; IP65; IK08; 100–277 V; surface mount [S8] | Rows along the platform ceiling; sealed against dust and moisture |
| Tunable Vapor Tight AN-VT8FT 45/60/70/80 W (same category) — 8 ft | 5,850 / 7,800 / 9,100 / 10,040 lm; up to 130 lm/W; 3500/4000/5000 K selectable; IP65; 120–277 V; tool-less clips [S9] | Longer runs over wide platforms; one SKU covers four wattages |
See vapor-tight vs standard strip: IP rating guide for when a sealed fixture is required.
Zone D — Inside the trailer
Light must reach the full length of a trailer from the door. Two approaches: a dock-face flood aimed into the trailer (A-FL with the narrowest beam setting [S3]), or an articulating dock light on the door frame. Auvolar's catalogue (114 product pages in the 2026-10-07 sitemap) has no articulating dock-arm light; the A-FL on a trunnion mount is the catalogue option.
Perimeter and security
| Fixture | Output (published) | Why here |
|---|---|---|
| LED Security Light AN-SCL24W — 24 W | 2,000 lm; 5000 K; 100–130 V [S10] | Small areas, personnel doors, corners |
3. Controls that cut dock energy without cutting safety
- Photocell — dusk-to-dawn switching for apron and door-line fixtures (Photocell, 120 V, UL [S11]); the AN-BL barn light accepts an optional photocell [S7].
- 0–10 V dimming — A-FL, AN-BL and AN-VT8FT have 0–10 V inputs [S3][S7][S9]; dim the apron after the last scheduled departure instead of switching it off.
- Occupancy sensing — a microwave sensor on interior platform rows brings them to full output when a forklift enters.
4. Specification checklist for a dock project
- Ingress rating: IP65 on every fixture in zones A–C (all fixtures above are IP65 [S3]–[S9]).
- Impact: IK08 on the 4-ft vapor-tight [S8]; keep fixtures out of the door's travel path and forklift mast height.
- Voltage: 120–277 V on A-FL, A-WP, AN-FWP, AN-VT8FT; 100–277 V on IDA and VF4FT; 120–347 V option on AN-BL; 100–130 V only on SCL24W [S3]–[S10]. Check the dock panel before ordering.
- Colour temperature: 4000–5000 K is selectable on A-FL, AN-BL and AN-VT8FT [S3][S7][S9]; keep one CCT across the door line so the transition does not look like two different rooms.
- Glare toward drivers: use full cut-off (AN-FWP) or aim floods down and away from the approach lane [S5].
- Layout: verify foot-candles and uniformity on the apron and platform with IES files in LightSpec AI before ordering quantities.
- Warranty and stock: 5-year standard manufacturer warranty; in-stock items ship within 24 hours, non-stock items are confirmed before the order is placed [S12].
FAQ
Is there an OSHA foot-candle requirement for loading docks? For general industry, OSHA requires exit routes to be "adequately lighted" [S1], requires forklifts to carry directional lights where general lighting is below 2 lumens per square foot [S14], and has stated that its standards in general set no minimum illumination level, suggesting 5 foot-candles as a guide for indoor storage [S13]. The only federal numeric table is for construction sites: 3 fc for loading platforms, 5 fc for indoor warehouses and exitways [S2]. Which fixture replaces an old HID wall pack over a dock door? The A-WP series is positioned on its product page as a replacement for 250–400 W HID wall packs on the same junction box [S4]; the AN-FWP 150 W is positioned as a replacement for larger HID wall packs [S5]. Confirm with lumens, not watts. Do dock fixtures need to be wet-location rated? Fixtures on the apron and under the canopy see rain and washdown; all fixtures listed for zones A–C above are IP65 [S3]–[S9]. Ask for the wet-location listing on the specific SKU.Sources
- [S1] OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.37(b)(1) "Each exit route must be adequately lighted so that an employee with normal vision can see along the exit route." https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.37 (fetched 2026-10-08)
- [S2] OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.56(a) and Table D-3 "Minimum Illumination Intensities in Foot-Candles": 3 — "access ways, active storage areas, loading platforms…"; 5 — "Indoors: warehouses, corridors, hallways, and exitways." https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.56 (fetched 2026-10-08)
- [S3] Auvolar product page, Adjustable Flood Light A-FL, spec table, fetched 2026-10-08
- [S4] Auvolar product page, Wall Pack Light A-WP 60–150W, spec table and headline "Replace 250W–400W HID Wall Packs… Fits the Same J-Box", fetched 2026-10-08
- [S5] Auvolar product page, Wall Pack Light AN-FWP100/150, spec table and headline "Replace 400W–1000W HID", fetched 2026-10-08
- [S6] Auvolar product page, Garage & Canopy Light IDA Series, spec table, fetched 2026-10-08
- [S7] Auvolar product page, Barn Light AN-BL series, spec table and text "replaces 175W–250W HID dusk-to-dawn lights", fetched 2026-10-08
- [S8] Auvolar product page, Vapor Tight Strip AN-VF4FT 40W, spec table, fetched 2026-10-08
- [S9] Auvolar product page, Tunable Vapor Tight AN-VT8FT, spec table, fetched 2026-10-08
- [S10] Auvolar product page, LED Security Light AN-SCL24W, spec table, fetched 2026-10-08
- [S11] Auvolar product page, Photocell, spec table, fetched 2026-10-08
- [S12] Auvolar company facts (src/lib/company-facts.ts, ruling 2026-09-20)
- [S13] OSHA standard interpretation letter of 1997-10-29 (to Laidlaw Environmental Services): HAZWOPER paragraph (p) sets no minimum illumination, "nor do the OSHA standards in general"; "an illumination intensity of at least five (5) foot-candles would be appropriate as a guide for indoor storage operations" — https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1997-10-29-0 (fetched 2026-10-08)
- [S14] OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.178(h)(2): "Where general lighting is less than 2 lumens per square foot, auxiliary directional lighting shall be provided on the truck." https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.178 (fetched 2026-10-08)
- [S15] ANSI/IES RP-7-21, Recommended Practice: Lighting Industrial Facilities — listed as the most recent edition on the ANSI webstore (checked 2026-10-08); title only, no values quoted
- [S16] OSHA proposed rule "Construction Illumination", 90 FR 28366 (2025-07-01), docket OSHA-2025-0040; OSHA's 2026 regulatory agenda (2026-07-03) lists it for public hearings from 2026-08-19; no final rule found on 2026-10-08, and osha.gov still serves 29 CFR 1926.56 as a current standard (checked 2026-10-08)