Electric forklift brings many benefits to the warehouse. The environment becomes cleaner and the environmental noise is greatly reduced. In addition, in many European countries, it is no longer allowed to drive diesel forklifts indoors.
The battery of electric forklift needs to be charged from time to time. In order to ensure that a shift is not greatly affected, many companies have created a battery room to ensure that the batteries are properly loaded and ready to minimize downtime.
But what are the potential risks of the battery room?
Several examples of risks associated with battery rooms include:
● gas may appear when loading forklift batteries.
● overheating may occur due to connecting the charging equipment with the wrong extension cable.
● short circuit due to damage of connecting cable.
● loading equipment located near elevated doors increases the risk of collision damage.
● some charging stations are placed near storage racks with potentially flammable materials.
● risk of explosion and fire.
Since there are many threats that will cause injury to workers and damage to warehouses, all preventive measures need to be taken to minimize the risk.
Five ways to improve the safety of battery room
(1) Make sure your employees wear personal protective equipment. This includes approved face masks and goggles, acid resistant gloves, non slip and acid resistant shoes with toe protection, sufficient fire extinguishers and sufficient neutralizer.
(2) In the event of an accident, there should be sufficient choice of necessary equipment: eye wash and shower system.
(3) Control the air. The gas generated during battery charging may bring adverse exposure to employees, so you must install a good exhaust system. Even better, hire a certified industrial hygienist to assess the situation.
(4) Only properly trained persons are allowed to enter the room. Employees who replace forklift batteries should receive formally documented initial and regular training. This may include operator / changer responsibilities, required procedures, inspection requirements, care and storage of protective equipment, and safe working methods.
(5) Check, check, check! Check regularly, preferably by professionals. For example, the battery rack should be checked frequently for damage, corrosion, welding / fastener quality and drum function. The charger also needs to be checked regularly.
