Staying safe in a hazardous environment like the warehouse forklift battery room is one of the most important parts of everyday work — but a shocking number of warehouse personnel neglect their own safety when handling forklift batteries in an effort to get their work done faster.

If you notice that your personnel could be safer when handling forklift batteries, it’s your responsibility to do something about it!

Want to make sure that your personnel are adequately safe while routinely working with forklift battery changing equipment? Here are the three best safety tips to remember during any forklift battery handling process:

Wear personal protective equipment (PPE)

All warehouse personnel should be wearing adequate protective gear as soon as they enter the battery room, with no exceptions. Be sure to provide goggles, face shields, rubber gloves and aprons to all personnel working in the battery room. It’s also a good idea to recommend that they wear steel-toed boots when handling forklift batteries as well, since these batteries weigh around 2,000 pounds.

Install the correct safety signage

It might sound trivial, but safety signage can help personnel remember to take the precautions they need to during their everyday work. Put up signs designating the specific areas within your battery room for forklift battery charging, and also be sure to put up signage indicating that the battery room is a smoke-free zone.

Provide the right safety equipment

All battery rooms must have an eye-wash station, ventilation installations and fire protection to keep personnel safe in the event of an accident. Because the chemicals within forklift batteries are highly flammable and corrosive in nature, these features are absolutely a must in any area that sees forklift battery changing take place.

Have any other questions for us on maintaining the highest level of battery room safety in your warehouse? Ask us anything about forklift battery maintenance and safety in the comments below. Learn more. More like this.