As a core material handling equipment in warehousing and logistics scenarios, the safety management of electric forklifts must cover four key dimensions: personnel qualification, operation procedures, equipment maintenance, and environmental control, with special attention to the unique risks of battery/electrical systems. Below are the specific safety standards and operational key points:
All electric forklift operators must meet the requirement of "on-the-job with certification + regular re-training". The training content shall include:
- Equipment Principles: Clarify the differences between electric forklifts and internal combustion forklifts (e.g., battery-powered, no exhaust emissions but with electrical risks);
- Practical Operation Skills: Standardized operations such as starting, steering, loading/unloading, climbing slopes, and emergency braking;
- Risk Awareness: Prevention and response to accidents like rollovers, battery leakage, electrical short circuits, and load drops;
- Regulatory Requirements: Compliance with national standards such as Safety Technical Specifications for Special Motor Vehicles in Workplaces (GB/T 36000-2019).
Before operation, "vehicle inspection + personal protection + environmental assessment" must be conducted to eliminate "operation with faults":
| Inspection Category | Specific Content |
|---|
| Vehicle Condition Check | 1. Battery: Sufficient power (charging required when below 20%), no loose/corroded terminals, and no leakage;2. Electrical System: Normal operation of lights (headlights/warning lights), horn, and turn signals;3. Braking System: Effective handbrake/footbrake, with braking distance meeting requirements;4. Forks: No deformation/cracks, uniform fork spacing, and normal lifting/tilting functions;5. Tires: Normal air pressure, no damage, and no stuck stones. |
| Personal Protection Gear | Mandatory to wear: safety helmet, anti-slip safety shoes;Optional to wear (based on scenarios): Reflective vest (in low-light areas), protective gloves (when loading/unloading sharp goods). |
| Work Environment Assessment | 1. Aisles: No obstacles, with width ≥ forklift turning radius + 0.5m;2. Ground: No standing water/oil stains (to prevent slipping), no potholes (to avoid load drops caused by jolts);3. Personnel: Confirm pedestrian routes in the work area and set up warning signs (e.g., "Forklift Operation Area – Pedestrians Keep Clear"). |
During operation, adhere to the principles of "stable start, slow driving, and standardized loading/unloading", and focus on avoiding the following risks:
Taboos for Starting/Driving:
- Prohibit rapid starting, sudden braking/sudden turning (prone to rollover, especially when unloaded with a higher center of gravity);
- Driving Speed: ≤10km/h when unloaded, ≤5km/h when loaded; reduce speed to ≤3km/h at turns, downhills, and intersections;
- Pedestrians First: When passing through intersections, doorways, or corners, must "stop first, look second, pass third" and sound the horn for warning; do not bypass pedestrians at close range from the front or rear.
Taboos for Loading/Unloading:
- Load Compliance: Strictly prohibit overloading (do not exceed the "rated load capacity" marked on the forklift nameplate) and one-sided loading (prone to rollover);
- Fork Positioning: Fully extend forks into the bottom of pallets, match fork spacing to pallet width, and place goods in the center;
- Lifting Height: Do not lift forks higher than the operator’s line of sight (to avoid blocking vision); keep forks 10-15cm above the ground when driving (to prevent scraping the ground);
- Prohibit Carrying People: No one is allowed to ride on any part of the forklift (forks, overhead guard, pedals) except the driver;
- Prohibit "Picking/Pulling" Goods: Do not use forks to pry or pull pallets, or forcefully drag items (prone to fork deformation and load drops).
After operation, park and maintain the forklift in a standardized manner to ensure safe conditions for the next use:
Vehicle Parking:
- Park in designated areas (not in fire exits, emergency exits, or stairwells);
- Lower forks to the ground (do not leave them suspended), turn off the engine, engage the handbrake, and remove the key;
- If parking on a slope (≤5°), wedge the tires with triangular blocks.
Battery Maintenance:
- Before Charging: Clean the battery surface, check if terminals are secure, and ensure good ventilation in the charging area (to avoid hydrogen accumulation; smoking/open flames are prohibited);
- During Charging: Prohibit overcharging (cut off power promptly after full charge to prevent battery swelling or fire);
- Battery Replacement: Require 2 people to collaborate (batteries are heavy to avoid crushing injuries) and wear insulating gloves (to prevent electric shock).
Fault Reporting: If issues such as brake failure, battery leakage, or electrical short circuits are found, stop using the forklift immediately, hang a "Faulty – Pending Repair" sign, and contact professional personnel for maintenance.
Cleaning and Organization: Remove debris from forks and the forklift body, and check for foreign objects stuck in tires.
- Prevention: Do not overload, avoid sudden turns, drive slowly on uneven ground; keep load lifting height ≤30cm (the higher the height, the more unstable the center of gravity).
- Emergency Response: Strictly prohibit jumping off the forklift during a rollover (risk of being crushed by the vehicle); grip the steering wheel tightly with both hands and lean your body in the opposite direction of the rollover (to reduce crushing injuries).
- Prevention: Do not mix chargers, do not disassemble batteries without authorization, keep the charging area away from flammable materials; do not touch exposed wires during operation.
- Emergency Response: Use a dry powder fire extinguisher for fires (do not use water, as water intensifies reactions when batteries catch fire); in case of electric shock, cut off the power immediately, move the injured person with insulating tools, and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if necessary.
- Prevention: Ensure goods are securely fixed during loading/unloading; do not stand under forks; avoid pedestrians when driving.
- Emergency Response: Stop the forklift immediately, call emergency services, and carefully remove pressed objects with a jack or forklift (to avoid secondary injuries).
- Annual Equipment Inspection: Authorized institutions by the market supervision department shall conduct safety performance tests on electric forklifts annually; forklifts can only continue to be used if they pass the inspection.
- Daily Inspections: Before operation each day, team leaders shall check the forklift’s condition and whether operators are wearing protective gear, and rectify any issues immediately.
- Safety Drills: Organize emergency drills for forklift accidents (e.g., rollovers, fires) once a quarter to ensure operators master emergency skills.
In short, the core of
electric forklift safety lies in "
prevention first, and strict implementation of procedures" – it requires not only operators to strictly comply with standards but also enterprises to establish a sound system for training, inspection, and emergency response, eliminating risks from the four aspects of "people, machine, environment, and management".
