Keeping an Eye on Batteries and Chargers: A Key to Forklift and Warehouse Safety
June 11 2018 - 12:54PM
Business Wire
In observation of National Forklift Safety Day on June 12,
AMETEK Prestolite Power, a leading industrial battery charging
solutions provider, is reminding material handling industry
participants at all levels about the need to put safety first in
their forklift fleet – as well as their batteries and chargers –
within all operations.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), the most common forklift injuries occur when
workers are hit, struck, crushed or pinned by the vehicle or fall
from one. Also at the top of the list are burns and electrocutions
resulting from accidental fires, explosions and mishaps involving
lift truck batteries and chargers.
“Electric forklift batteries and charging operations are
extremely safe when properly implemented and all relevant safety
procedures and maintenance regimens are followed,” says Jeff
Harrison, Business Manager for AMETEK Prestolite Power. “Above all,
training and preparation is key to ensuring the highest level of
safety possible for your personnel and property.”
In addition to ensuring a warehouse has proper in-house safety
signage, forklift operators need to make sure to assign staff
members to a safety team to ensure compliance with local, state and
federal regulations. OSHA, for instance, points to four primary
hazards associated with batteries and chargers:
- Weight – lift truck batteries are heavy
and pose a threat when suspended by battery handling
equipment.
- Caustic Fluids – Electrolytes in
lead-acid battery cells contain hazardous levels of sulfuric
acid.
- Gasses – During charging, batteries
emit hydrogen gas and, when levels get too high they can burst into
flames or explode.
- Exposure to Electricity – Active
battery cells hold an electrical charge, which can short circuit
when touched by an employee, causing electrical burns, arcing also
increases the risk of explosion.
Following is a set of guidelines for helping to reduce forklift-
and battery charging-related accidents:
1) Separate the battery changing area or
“battery room” from general warehouse traffic and make sure it is
adequately ventilated.
2) Protect battery handling equipment with
highly visible structural barriers and floors that are level, flat
and acid-resistant.
3) Equip each battery room with battery wash
and eye wash stations, spill kits and hydrogen gas detectors. Have
available plenty of water, soda ash, baking soda and CO2, dry
chemical or foam fire extinguishers.
4) Wear the right protective gear, including
safety goggles, face shields, rubber or neoprene gloves and
aprons.
5) Remove anything metallic, including
jewelry, and keep metal objects away from uncovered batteries.
6) Take precautions with flammable
materials.
7) Check electrolyte and water levels before
beginning active charging, but don’t add water until after charging
is complete.
8) When mixing the electrolyte, always pour
acid into water, not the other way around, and pour slowly.
9) Keep the charger turned off and unplugged
while attaching or detaching clamp connections.
10) For batteries with sealed vents, don’t
exceed 25 amperes of current.
11) If the battery heats up, or if vents
start leaking fluid, turn off the charger and start over with a
lower rate of charge.
12) Keep water levels at the indicated
height, but only add the deionized water after recharging is
complete.
13) Record all levels in a designated service
log.
14) Have regular preventative maintenance or
have one of our qualified dealers perform that service.
About AMETEK Prestolite Power
AMETEK Prestolite Power offers the industry’s broadest range of
industrial motive power chargers and is the only industrial battery
charger provider that is able to custom tailor a system, which
combines the full range of conventional, opportunity and rapid
charging solutions. Prestolite Power is a unit of AMETEK, Inc., a
leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and
electromechanical devices. For more information, visit:
www.prestolitepower.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180611005911/en/
for AMETEK Prestolite PowerKirsten Woodard, (714)
366-6003Kirsten@masterplancommunications.comorAshton Maxfield,
(949) 289-6493Ashton@masterplanpr.com
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