Thompson and Johnson Equipment Company

Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co., Inc.

March 2005

Keep your Battery Room Safe. Review OSHA Standards.

Most employers are trying to provide a safe environment to work in, and keeping up with the rules is your responsibility as an employer. To help make sure your Battery Room meets the OSHA Standards, we are highlighting some of the standards taken from the OSHA Manual sections 1910.178(g), 1910.178(i), 1926.441(a) and 1926.441(b).

1926.441(a)(1) • Batteries of the unsealed type shall be located in enclosures with outside vents or in well ventilated rooms and shall be arranged so as to prevent the escape of fumes, gases, or electrolyte spray into other areas.

1926.441(a)(2) • Ventilation shall be provided to ensure diffusion of the gases from the battery and to prevent the accumulation of an explosive mixture.

1926.441(a)(4) • Floors shall be of acid resistant construction unless protected from acid accumulations.

1926.441(a)(5) • Face shields, aprons, and rubber gloves shall be provided for workers handling acids or batteries.

1926.441(a)(6) • Facilities for quick drenching of the eyes and body shall be provided within 25 feet (7.62 m) of battery handling areas.

1926.441(a)(7) • Facilities shall be provided for flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolyte and for fire protection.

1926.441(b)(1) • Battery charging installations shall be located in areas designated for that purpose.

1926.441(b)(2) • Charging apparatus shall be protected from damage by trucks.

1926.441(b)(3) • When batteries are being charged, the vent caps shall be kept in place to avoid electrolyte spray. Vent caps shall be maintained in functioning condition.

1910.178(g)(1) • Battery charging installations shall be located in areas designated for that purpose.

1910.178(g)(2) • Facilities shall be provided for flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolyte, for fire protection, for protecting charging apparatus from damage by trucks, and for adequate ventilation for dispersal of fumes from gassing batteries.

1910.178(g)(4) • A conveyor, overhead hoist, or equivalent material handling equipment shall be provided for handling batteries.

1910.178(g)(5) • Reinstalled batteries shall be properly positioned and secured in the truck.

1910.178(g)(6) • A carboy tilter or siphon shall be provided for handling electrolyte.

1910.178(g)(7) • When charging batteries, acid shall be poured into water; water shall not be poured into acid.

1910.178(g)(8) • Trucks shall be properly positioned and brake applied before attempting to change or charge batteries.

1910.178(g)(9) • Care shall be taken to assure that vent caps are functioning. The battery (or compartment) cover(s) shall be open to dissipate heat.

1910.178(g)(10) • Smoking shall be prohibited in the charging area.

1910.178(g)(11) • Precautions shall be taken to prevent open flames, sparks, or electric arcs in battery charging areas.

1910.178(g)(12) • Tools and other metallic objects shall be kept away from the top of uncovered batteries.

1910.178(i)(1) • Concentration levels of carbon monoxide gas created by powered industrial truck operations shall not exceed the levels specified in 1910.1000.

You can read the complete standards by going to the OSHA Web site, www.osha.gov.

Battery Maintenance Doesn't Have to Be Aggravating

Batteries can be a reliable and clean power source for your forklifts, or they can be a source of never-ending aggravation if not taken care of properly.

We offer a full line of battery and charger safety products, as well as accessories for your battery, charger and battery charging area to help you avoid the aggravation. Corrosion build-up on batteries is an all too common problem. We have battery cleaning products that clean and neutralize the battery, which eliminates the corrosion that can collect on the top of your battery.

Are your batteries being watered correctly? We have battery watering systems, which include everything from watering guns that automatically shut off when the battery is filled to the proper level, to automatic watering systems that make battery watering simpler and easier, to batteries that only require quarterly watering for single shift operations. We also have indicators to let you know when the battery needs to be watered.

Are your batteries being charged correctly? We can update many of the older battery chargers with timer controls to automatic controls with many different options. Do you have batteries and chargers with different sizes and voltages? We have a full line of battery and charger connectors to help you avoid charging your battery with the wrong charger.

If you need the proper safety equipment—gloves, face shields, aprons—we sell them in kits or as individual items. We also offer a full range of eye wash stations and battery testing equipment.

Not sure if you even have a problem? We are a full service Hawker Industrial Battery Dealer. We can provide battery surveys to check the general condition of your batteries and to make sure the batteries and chargers are properly matched. We can help you sort through the many options available to meet your needs. For more information, please contact your Thompson & Johnson representative.

Thompson & Johnson Has Solutions
for your Material Handling Needs

As an authorized dealer for Cushman and E-Z-GO products, Thompson & Johnson can provide a wide range of solutions for your material handling and personnel transportation requirements.

Featuring the broadest product offerings of utility vehicles in the market, both Cushman and E-Z-GO have internal combustion and electric vehicles available with a vast variety of operator and cargo configurations. This versatility allows us to offer you the exact machine for your particular application.

The combination of versatility, dependability and durability enables Thompson & Johnson to provide the finest lines of heavy-duty industrial burden carriers and comfortable personnel carriers in the industry.

Please contact your local Thompson & Johnson representative for an application survey, or for additional information.

E-Z-GO Industrial 800

The E-Z-GO Industrial 800 Model is a workaholic utility vehicle you can rely on to perform at the most critical times, in the most demanding applications. The Industrial 800 features E-Z-GO's durable diamond plate body with an 800 lb. payload capacity, heavy-duty bed liner and an optional power dump to tackle the most difficult jobs around your warehouse or plant facility.

The electric version is UL approved with an optimal EE rating, keeping the standards you expect and deserve.

With an E-Z-GO Industrial 800, life becomes a little easier and so do all those tough jobs! Please contact your Thompson & Johnson representative for additional information.

If you would like additional information about items mentioned in this newsletter, call us at (315) 437-2881 or send e-mail to sales@thompsonandjohnson.com.
Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co., Inc. • 6926 Fly Road • East Syracuse, NY 13057 • (315) 437-2881
www.thompsonandjohnson.com
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