- Location
- Lewes, East Sussex
- Main postcode district
- BN7
- Nearby (straight line)
- Rottingdean (5 miles), Peacehaven (6 miles) and Brighton (7 miles)
- Survey and quote
- Free, with a fixed written quote
Dock traffic lights are red and green signals mounted outside and inside a loading bay to tell the driver and dock staff when it is safe to move or load. Interlocks are control links that stop equipment operating out of sequence, for example preventing the door opening until the trailer is restrained, or the leveller operating until the door is fully open.
What matters for dock traffic lights and interlocks in Lewes?
Whether your unit in Lewes has one dock or twenty, the survey looks at each bay's existing controls before we quote a fixed price in writing. Food and chilled operations around Lewes with inflatable shelters often add interlocks so the shelter only inflates once a trailer is docked and restrained.
Sites around Lewes that run night shifts often find traffic lights easier for drivers to read than staff waving or knocking on the cab door.
Your loading bay stays our responsibility from the survey to the handover. In Lewes, the survey and written quote are free, and the quoted price is fixed for the agreed scope. Installation is carried out by specialist engineers working under our management, at times planned with you to protect your loading schedule. Out-of-hours work is available by arrangement. We finish by testing the equipment and handing over its documentation.
How much do dock traffic lights and interlocks cost?
Dock traffic lights and interlocks typically cost £650 to £3,400 per bay, supplied and fitted, excluding VAT. A pair of manually switched LED signals sits at the lower end, while a full interlock panel linking door, leveller, restraint and shelter sits towards the top.
What moves the price:
- Level of control: standalone lights, door-linked lights or a full interlocked sequence.
- Existing control panels: modern door and leveller panels often accept interlocks directly; older panels may need replacing with a combined bay panel.
- Sensors: door position switches, trailer presence sensors and restraint signals each add parts and wiring.
- Cable runs: distances between lights, panels and the power supply.
- Number of bays and timing: repeat bays reduce the cost per bay, while out-of-hours working adds to it.
These are guide budgets. After a free site survey we send a written quote, and that quote is the fixed price. VAT is added at the standard rate.
What does HSE guidance say about stopping drivers leaving too early?
HSE guidance (followed by HSENI in Northern Ireland) says there should be safeguards against drivers driving away from a loading bay too early, and it names traffic lights as one of the measures. Vehicle or trailer restraints, and the person in charge keeping keys or paperwork until it is safe, are the others listed in HSE's guide to workplace transport safety (HSG136) and its loading factsheet.
Traffic lights are a signal, not a physical barrier, so they work best as part of a clear procedure or alongside a restraint. Your risk assessment should decide the combination. In Northern Ireland the regulator is HSENI.
Interlocks also touch on door safety law. Under regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, or the Northern Ireland 1993 equivalent, powered doors need suitable and effective features to prevent them trapping anyone. Interlocks must never bypass those features, and door control work should respect BS EN 12453, the standard for safety in use of power-operated doors.
Read more in our guide to preventing drive-away and trailer creep.
The same published guide range applies across England; access, out-of-hours working and site conditions are confirmed at the free survey.
What we look at on site
- Access for deliveries, cranes or lifting equipment during installation
- Wind exposure at the dock, which affects door and shelter choice
- Escape routes and pedestrian doors close to the bay
- Yard gradient and the slope of the approach to the dock
- How drivers are prevented from pulling away too early
- Asbestos register and any other site hazard information
Options to discuss
Trailer presence sensors
Sensors that detect a trailer on the bay, used to switch lights, enable the door or trigger an inflatable shelter where no restraint is fitted.
Restraint interlock package
Door, lights and vehicle restraint tied together so the door only opens once the trailer is held and the restraint only releases when loading is finished.
Planning, building control and safety law in England
Sites in Lewes fall under the rules for England. Structural changes such as forming a new opening or a dock leveller pit may need Building Regulations approval, and external structures such as loading houses, canopies or new dock approaches can need planning permission from the local planning authority. We check what applies at survey and build any approvals into the plan.
Questions about dock traffic lights and interlocks in Lewes
Is the site survey in Lewes free?
Yes. For new installations, replacements, upgrades, conversions and complete bays, the site survey and written quote are free and come with no obligation. The survey lets us measure the openings, check the dock and structure, and understand how the bay is used, so the quote reflects your site. Repair and servicing visits are different: they are chargeable, with the price agreed before anyone attends.
How do you price dock traffic lights and interlocks for a site in Lewes?
Guide budgets for supply and fit are £650 to £3,400 per bay, excluding VAT. The figure moves with size, insulation, the operator, electrics, access, any pit or groundworks and out-of-hours working. Where levellers are involved, the guide assumes an existing, sound pit. After the free survey you receive a fixed written quote, and that is the price for the agreed scope.
Do you remove and dispose of the old equipment?
Yes, where it is part of the scope. When we replace doors, levellers, shelters or seals at a site in Lewes, removal and disposal of the old equipment can be included and is itemised in the quote, so it is clear what is covered. If anything should be kept, such as a frame or motor that is still serviceable, we agree that at survey.
Do traffic lights and interlocks need maintenance?
Yes. Lights, sensors and interlocks should be checked at each planned service visit, including testing the full sequence and confirming that steps attempted out of order are blocked. As part of the dock equipment they fall under PUWER, which requires work equipment to be maintained in a safe condition.
Which way round do the inside and outside lights work?
The inside and outside lights always show opposite colours. While a trailer is being loaded, the outside light is red so the driver stays put and the inside light is green so staff can work. When loading is finished and the door is closed, the inside light turns red and the outside light turns green for the driver.
Dock traffic lights and interlocks near Lewes
Nearby places we cover, measured from Lewes, include Rottingdean (5 miles), Peacehaven (6 miles) and Brighton (7 miles). Ask if your own town is missing.
Other loading bay services in Lewes
Full guide to dock traffic lights and interlocks · Everything we do in Lewes
If a loading bay in Lewes needs attention, call us or send photos and details online.