Posted By Alan Murphy Could anyone tell me or point me in the right direction of information regarding the specifications if any, of fork lift truck charging areas

Posted By Martin Hartland Hi Alan This is copied/pasted from HSG6 - Safety in Working With Lift Trucks. When the batteries of battery-powered lift trucks are being charged, care should be taken to avoid a risk of explosion from an accumulation of hydrogen gas. Charging should only take place in a clearly marked area set aside for the purpose, away from the work or storage area and any main thoroughfare. The charging area should be cool, well ventilated, designated ‘No smoking and no naked lights’, and be free from other sources of ignition. Hope this helps. Regards Martin

Posted By Alan Murphy Thanks for all replies

Posted By Jerry Lucey There are a number of risks involved in battery maintenance and include those involved with battery charging which would involve risks associated with explosive gases and working with hazardous substances i.e. battery acid. Battery charging should take place in an open/ well ventilated environment where there is no opportunity for gases to build up. It is worth remembering that hydrogen gas being lighter than air will rise so the risk of a pocket of explosive gas building up at height needs to be considered. I have encountered a situation in the past where lifttrucks were being charged in what seemed to be a well ventilated area, however there was no facility for air changes at height with the result that there was the risk of pockets of hydrogen gas building close to the roof of the building. The trucks in question were narrow aisle where the operator was raised in the cab of the truck with reports of personnel feeling unwell after working at height for longer periods, possibly due to O2 deficient atmospheres. Battery acid poses its own risks. Forklift truck training should include the method for checking and topping up of batteries e.g. it is important that the lids of battery cells are never flipped up when attempting to open them as there may be acid residue on the tops of these lids. PPE provided needs to include appropriate safety goggles, PVC gloves (to cover both hands and arms), PVC apron. The battery charging area should include an eyewash station. A strict no smoking policy also needs to be implemented. Battery water levels should be maintained to cover the battery plates but should not be more than 2-3mm above the plates. As one of the previous posts outlined there may be the need to use a lift truck on multiple shifts where there will probably be the need for battery changing. If possible this should be avoided, in a previous employment I have encountered a situation where live busbars were incorporated into racking whereby narrow aisle trucks were contiuously being charged while in use. From a manual handling prospective this was the perfect solution as it eliminated the need for manual handling, however the overall risks would need to be assessed for each individual situation e.g. risk of working close to electricity. Where battery changing is found to be necessary the space requirements need to be examined to ensure that healthy manual handling techniques can be adopted and this operation is not taking placed in a cramped environment. I hope this helps Alan, and if I can be of any further help please feel free to contact me directly. Best wishes, Jerry