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Safe
Handling of Industrial Batteries
When
training your forklift operators, many times they have
to inspect their own water levels inside the battery.
Your forklift safety training class should consist of
the proper handling of batteries.
Even if the operators only have to inspect the water
levels inside the battery, then certain Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) should be available
for them to use. OSHA 1926.441(a)(5) under
general requirements states: Face shield with goggles
worn underneath the shield, rubber apron and gloves.
A flashlight should only be used when checking water
levels. A flashlight is not a heat or electrical source,
therefore the chance of a spark is greatly reduced.
Using an incandescent light source
could ignite the hydrogen gas that is produced from
a charging battery. OSHA 1910.178(g)(12) states
that tools and other metallic objects shall be kept
away from the top on uncovered batteries. The top of
a battery is not a table to rest tools
on!
All metallic jewelry should be removed
before working on or inspecting batteries. If a metal
watchband touches the battery, an arc/spark could be
created and cause the battery to explode. Even if the
battery didn’t explode, a person could be severely burned
from the melted jewelry.
NEVER use a cigarette lighter to check
battery water levels and NO smoking
at all in a battery charging.
Instruct your operators to leave the seat hoods
up on their forklifts or battery covers up
while the battery is charging. Since hydrogen is lighter
than air, it will rise up and dissipate, instead of
accumulating under these covers in quantity and then
the chance of spark igniting it is greater.
Facilities for quick drenching of the eyes and body
shall be provided for within 25 feet of the battery
handling area, according to OSHA 1926.441(a)(6).
If your eyewash station is portable, then it must provide
a flow of water at 0.4 gpm (gallons per minute) for
at least 15 minutes. When we conduct training classes,
many times we see companies using small bottles as an
eyewash station only. These small bottles
that can be purchased are a first step first aid to
get the person to the proper eyewash station.
Your company must have a portable one that provides
the flow of water as mentioned above, or one that connects
directly to the water line in your facility. Your training
should point out where the location of the eyewash stations
are and that the eyewash station should be the first
immediate action to take should acid get in their eyes
Dilute the acid down as much as possible, then seek
medical attention at a nearby medical facility.
If you are pulling batteries in and out
of forklifts, then certain steps should be taken. OSHA
1910.178(g)(8) states: Trucks shall be properly
positioned and brakes applied before attempting to change
or charge a battery. A conveyor, overhead hoist or equivalent
material handling equipment shall be provided for handling
batteries as per OSHA 1910.178(g)(4). Whatever
device is used, it should be made of a nonconductive
material to prevent arcing should the device touch the
top of the battery. You should never use a chain only
to pull a battery out of a forklift.
When inspecting water levels on a stand-up style forklift,
the battery has to be pushed out to either side to inspect
the battery water levels. Using a battery rollout
device will help to keep the battery from falling
out onto the floor and possibly crushing a foot.
Finally, reinstalled batteries shall
be properly positioned and secured in the truck, as
per OSHA 1910.178(g)(5). A forklift battery
is extremely heavy; some weigh up to 3,000 lbs. Horrible
crushing injuries could occur along with the chance
of an explosion if people are not trained on the proper
ways of handling batteries.
These battery safety rules should be taught in your
forklift safety training classes. Following simple safety
rules will help to reduce accidents in the battery charging/changing
area and keep your company's accident rate and costs
down.
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