Forklift and MHE charging

Battery charging, hydrogen and DSEAR

The most commonly missed DSEAR issue in warehousing, by a distance.

Why it gets missed

There is no drum, no label, no safety data sheet pinned to the wall and no smell. A charging bay looks like electrical equipment, so it gets treated as an electrical issue. But a bank of lead-acid batteries gassing at the end of charge is releasing a flammable gas into a room, and that is squarely what DSEAR is about.

Hydrogen rises, so the problem collects at ceiling level. A low ceiling, a mezzanine above, or a light fitting directly over the batteries turns a manageable release into a zone with an ignition source sitting in it.

What we look at

Questions

Why is a charging bay a DSEAR issue at all?

Lead-acid batteries give off hydrogen towards the end of charge and during equalisation. Hydrogen is flammable across an unusually wide range in air and needs very little energy to ignite, so it is treated seriously even in small quantities.

Is a lithium-ion charging area the same?

No, and it is worth being clear about it. Lithium-ion does not routinely vent hydrogen in normal charging, so DSEAR is usually not the governing issue. The risk there is thermal runaway, which is a fire and a toxic gas problem and belongs in the fire risk assessment.

What does good look like?

Charging in a dedicated area, ventilation at high level because hydrogen rises, no ignition sources within the zone above the batteries, and a clear rule about not disconnecting under load.

This is the one people miss, isn't it?

Consistently. A warehouse with an immaculate flammables store will have three forklifts on charge in a corner with a low ceiling, a strip light directly above them, and nothing written down anywhere.

Related

Warehousing and logistics

The sector this catches most often.

Zoning a charging bay

Where the zone sits and how far it extends.

DSEAR or fire assessment?

Lead-acid and lithium-ion belong in different documents.

Tell us what you store and we'll tell you where you stand

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