Kanidis says the primary safety concern with lithium ion batteries are the risk of fires: “These can happen through a higher then specified temperature increases by overcharging, deep discharging or mechanical faults. To mitigate these risks, batteries are manufactured with in-built safety measures. We ensure optimal thermal stability within our range to avoid such events from happening.”

Sundial’s Li.ON force range uses high current fuses, temperature control and monitoring against overcharging, deep discharging, and short circuiting. Furthermore, to provide warning against a possible hazardous situation, it also incorporates cloud connectivity functions which can send alerts via email and includes a maintenance diagnosis.

“As technology continues to evolve, more of the thinking around safety and maintenance is taken care of. That is not intended to create complacency, rather change the way we monitor battery function and performance,” he says.

Bringing IT into the process has seen forklift vendors like Doosan introduce cloud-based telematics to its fleet offering. Doosan uses wireless communication to provide updates and reports on each individual forklift truck’s performance.

This means instant access to service & breakdown history, battery charging/discharging, fuel efficiency and operating hours – including monitoring working/ non-working hours within daily operations.  The system also records vehicle speed and any shocks, and alerts are automatically sent to both the driver and manager when a speed limit is exceeded or if a shock is recorded.

Furthermore, it is worth considering that warehouses are under more pressure that before, and the boom in e-commerce has resulted in skills shortage in the sector. Rapid on-boarding of staff means employers need to consider the health and safety of current warehousing employees as demand reaches record levels.

Phil Chesworth, Managing Director of Midland Pallet Trucks, said “With candidate shortages hitting hard across both warehousing and supply chain sectors, it is imperative that employers look at ways to safeguard the health and safety of current staff as the industry prepares for the busiest year on record.

“From training staff to carry out several roles as business needs dictate to ensuring a robust and plentiful supply of good quality materials lifting equipment to reduce the risk of avoidable injuries, employers should also be focusing on the wellbeing of their current workforce as well as looking to attract suitable candidates to new vacancies.”

Demonstrably Higher Standards

To that end there are offers in place to facilitate further improvements in forklift safety across any warehouse of logistics operation. In the summer the Forklift Truck Association (FLTA) published an on-site audit – incorporating 100 on-site checks- to demonstrate members work to “demonstrably higher standards” than non-compliant companies.

Tim Waples, Chief Executive of the FLTA, says: “There are many companies who can rent or sell you a forklift and each will tell you they’re the best. But few, if any, can back that up with solid evidence. Your local FLTA Member can. To gain and retain their membership, each must abide by a stringent Code of Practice and must successfully complete the FLTA Member Audit.”

Waples said the Code of Practice was evidence that an FLTA member was competent to survey a site, which meant taking the time to understand the application, safety requirements and future plans, and specifying the most appropriate equipment.

“Underpinning that Code is the FLTA’s rigorous member audit,” he says. “Developed specifically for the forklift truck industry, it is unlike many accreditations that use an online questionnaire (which is vulnerable to malpractice). Instead, an FLTA Quality Manager undertakes a physical on-site visit to inspect more than 100 criteria across all aspects of the member’s business, including safety and environmental procedures and best practice.”

Waples said that for the customer, the audit is proof that FLTA members work to standards demonstrably higher than non-compliant companies, removing a potentially weak link in a company’s chain of traceability and accountability.