Forklift Refuelling and Battery Charging Hazards Recommended practice

Load Handling, Rollover Survival, and Refuelling / Charging Hazards

Safe load handling

• Check the load before lifting: weight within de-rated capacity, stable, centred on the forks, not damaged
• Fork the load fully — forks all the way under, load against the backrest, then tilt back slightly
• Travel with the load low (10–15 cm / 4–6 in off the ground) and the mast tilted back
• Travel up a ramp with the load facing UPHILL; travel down a ramp with the load facing UPHILL (i.e. drive in reverse going down). A loaded truck travelling forward down a ramp can tip forward or lose the load
• Never raise or lower the load while travelling, and never turn on a ramp
• Never lift people on the forks. Personnel are raised only on a properly secured work platform/cage designed for the truck, with the operator at the controls

Surviving a tip-over

If a sit-down counterbalance forklift starts to tip, the instinct to jump is deadly. A worker who jumps lands where the falling overhead guard comes down. The survival actions are:

• Stay in the seat. Do not jump.
• Hold the steering wheel firmly.
• Brace your feet.
• Lean AWAY from the direction of the fall.

The seat belt and overhead guard (ROPS) are engineered to protect the operator who stays inside the operator compartment. This is the single most important reason the seat belt is mandatory and a missing one means out of service.

Refuelling and charging hazards — by fuel type

• Propane (LPG): flammable gas; change cylinders outdoors or in a well-ventilated area away from ignition; check for leaks (hissing, odour, frost on fittings); wear gloves — liquid propane causes cold burns; store cylinders upright and secured
• Diesel / gasoline: refuel with the engine off, no smoking, no ignition sources; clean spills; ventilation for exhaust (carbon monoxide indoors)
• Electric (lead-acid battery): charging releases hydrogen gas (explosive) — charge in a designated, ventilated area, no smoking/sparks; electrolyte is corrosive acid — wear face/eye protection and gloves, and have an eyewash/shower nearby; batteries are heavy — use proper handling equipment

Carbon monoxide

Running a propane, diesel, or gasoline forklift indoors with poor ventilation can build up carbon monoxide to dangerous levels. Symptoms (headache, dizziness, nausea) are easy to miss. Indoor IC-forklift operations need adequate ventilation and, where required, CO monitoring.

Common mistake

"It's tipping — jump clear!"

Jumping from a tipping sit-down forklift puts the operator under the falling overhead guard. Stay in, hold on, lean away. Train this until it is automatic, because the tip happens in under two seconds.