Lift truck tips: Battery upkeep

Follow these tips to safely charge, change and maintain batteries.

By James P. Kaletta, Guest Columnist -- Modern Materials Handling, 11/1/2008

When batteries are part of the work environment it's important to control inherent hazards. Nationally, about 2,300 people are injured each year handling the kind of batteries that power lift trucks. About half those injuries are from acid burns to the face and eyes. The remaining injuries are mostly due to battery handling problems like ejections—quite a concern since lift truck batteries can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.

As a first step, ensure that all employees who service and change batteries are properly trained in battery charging and maintenance. They should respect the basic chemistry, that is, that lead-acid batteries contain lead plates resting in an electrolyte solution of acid and water to create electricity.

If the battery's electrolyte levels decrease so that they no longer cover the lead plates, excess hydrogen and oxygen can accumulate inside. When the battery is engaged, a spark could ignite these gases, causing the battery to explode.

Your local lift truck dealer or battery company can provide this training. Here are some other safety pointers:

Always keep the lead-acid battery vent caps securely in place.
Do not store the battery in hot locations or direct sunlight.
Never add water to concentrated acid. Instead, pour concentrated acid slowly into water as needed.
Avoid overcharging a lead-acid battery.
Make sure the eye wash/shower station is located where water never touches batteries or chargers.
Inspect for defective cables, loose connections, corroded parts, cracked cases, loose clamps and damaged terminals.
To prevent shocks, keep metal tools and jewelry away from the battery and never touch both terminals at the same time. Cleaning agents like baking soda solutions can also conduct electricity.

Ensure that all employees who service and change
batteries are properly trained in battery charging and maintenance.

Changing procedure

An employee should be assigned to change and charge the batteries. If the lift truck operator does not change the battery, he or she should stand clear throughout the process.

Before removing the battery, place the battery retention plate on the dead man's switch or lay it in the operator's compartment as a reminder.
Put on safety gear before starting: non-vented safety glasses, an approved face shield, full-length rubber apron, and rubber acid-resistive gloves with 6 to 8-inch gauntlets. No leather, cloth or latex gloves.
Visually inspect the battery, connections and cables and remove the lift truck from service if you identify any defects, pending repairs. If no defects are found, place the discharged battery into the charging rack and proceed with charging.
Unplug a fresh battery from the cool-down rack and remove it using proper techniques.
Install the battery into the lift truck, then plug in the battery. Replace the battery retention plate.
Once the battery has been changed, the operator must verify that the battery retention plate has been correctly reinstalled before resuming work.

Author Information

Jim Kaletta, MS and certified safety professional, is president of Safety Management Solutions. He can be reached at 773-935-8326 or jkaletta@safeteam.com. Visit www.safetymgmtsolutions.com/main/cust/pit/pages/pit_home.html.

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