Intro

With such powerful chemicals involved, safety is of the utmost importance when handling both of these forklift battery types – though one of them clearly offers a safety advantage for a typical workplace. Let us examine lithium-ion vs lead acid forklift batteries as it relates to safety in the workplace.

Lead acid forklift battery safety risks:

Spills: The highly-toxic sulfuric acid within these batteries can absolutely spill out, especially since this type of unit needs to be watered about once a week. If watering is not done safely, employees will be at risk – which necessitates a chemical washing station in the workplace.

Overheating: These batteries get incredibly hot while they charge and can leak an explosive gas after reaching peak charge, making temperature control very important to safety. Forklift battery charging station safety must be carefully managed.

Dangerous Gases: If lead acid batteries are over-charged, specific hazardous gases can be released into the air. Add a room that is not well ventilated, and you have an extremely hazardous situation on your hands. The three main gases that can be released are hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, and sulfur dioxide. If it smells like rotten egg, hydrogen sulfide is the likely cause, and employees should take immediate precautions. A standard catalytic LEL gas sensor should be installed in the charging room above the level of the gas. Or, measuring the hydrogen by means of a substance-specific electrochemical sensor. Since hydrogen is lighter than air, the sensor needs to be installed in the appropriate location.

Old or Corroded Batteries: Brand new lead acid batteries that are charged appropriately will not expose workers to the aforementioned conditions. However, old or corroded lead acid batteries are a real danger to the people working with them and should be properly disposed of immediately.

Lithium-ion forklift batteries are sealed, so there is no potential for acid spills, corrosion, sulfation, or any sort of contamination in the workplace. The chemical combination within these more-advanced batteries does pose a minuscule risk of expelling a corrosive gas when it comes in contact with water, but it is quite rare.