Forklift Battery Maintenance and Safety
Accessible by: anyone
- Battery charging is conducted only in designated areas.
- Appropriate facilities are provided for flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolytes, fire extinguishing, protecting charging apparatus from damage by trucks, and adequate ventilation to disperse fumes from gassing batteries.
- Conveyors, overhead hoists, or equivalent materials-handling equipment are provided for handling batteries.
- Reinstalled batteries are properly positioned and secured.
- Carboy tilters or siphons rated for the specific corrosive material are used for handling electrolytes and are stored in appropriate areas (i.e. corrosives cabinet or other protected, designated, and segregated areas).
- Forklifts are properly positioned and brakes applied before workers start to change or charge batteries.
- Vent caps are properly functioning.
- When charging batteries, acid shall be poured into water; water shall not be poured into acid.
- Precautions are taken to prevent smoking, open flames, sparks, or electric arcs in battery-charging areas and during storage/changing of propane-fuel tanks.
- Tools and other metallic objects are kept away from the top of uncovered batteries.
- Concentrations of noxious gases and fumes are kept below acceptable levels.