paulr

.....is there any health issue related to the gas fumes.I know a lot of warehouses use electric FLT's inside?

Anyone shed any light on this issue?

Peccant

Do you mean the LPG fork lifts? As far as I'm aware, the health and safety concerns are mainly over storage and changing of cylinders, as well as the maintenance of the flt's. Don't know of any specific issues concerning fumes in day to day use.They're supposed to be a pretty clean option I believe.

GC8

LPG burns extremely cleanly; there are fumes as with a 'Calor Gas' heater but only in a confined space.

Simon

mart360

the onlly h&s regs would be for operating in an enclosed environment. As with any combustion engine, carbon monoxide will be released, Tty working with meths fumes all day!!! after the first whiff it gets well sickly!!!


Mart

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Dunno about legislation, I'm sure sombody here can enlighten. But I can shed some light in fumes within a warehouse environment vs LPG with inadequate ventillation.....

Also ask the other 40 people who joined me on indoor karting in karts running on lpg and all got carbon monoxide poisoning Strange, as on petrol there was never a problem on the same track

So technically, there is a risk. Depending on how many forklifts, the amount of ventilaation and the size and height of the warehouse.

paulr

Is calor gas the same as LPG?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Calor is usually butane (blue bottle) - red is for propane. (calor sell both )

LPG is a universal description of both butane and propane or a mixture of both (as they are both Liquid Petroleum Gas - LPG)

paulr

Our warehouse has propane then.

Chip

Calor is just a brand name, but yes they deal in LPG.

Chip

Little Miss WRX

Our warehouse runs gas fork lifts, there is however, adequate ventilation and the main OH&S issues are concerned with storage of the cylinders and taking them on and off the forkies.

paulr

So you dont have a huge gas tank and refill them then?

Flatcapdriver

Liquefied Petroleum Gas which as you've said can be supplied in either red (propane) or blue (butane) cylinders unless it's either Barbecue or Patio gas in which case it's propane contained within a green cylinder. Different blends of LPG are also used as refrigerants, aerosol propellants and foam blowing agents and are know collectively as Hydrocarbons in those markets.

As for the original question there are no Health and Safety issues associated with LPG for FLT usage, in fact HSG 187 recommends the use of either LPG or electric trucks for all warehouse applications. Compared to diesel trucks, the modern 3 way catalyst equipped truck's emissions are virtually zero with fewer PM10 emissions than diesel plus you don't have any spillage problems in conjunction with lower engine noise.

Compared to electric FLTs you don't have to worry about potential fume extraction problems whilst you're charging the batteries and you should have received safety training by your LPG supplier which is unusual when you consider that diesel and electric suppliers don't usually offer this service.

ajm

I agree, from what I've heard these things burn very clean so you are looking at pretty much just carbon dixide and water vapour. Obviously the ventilation is still important because CO2 can still smother you if levels get too high, but other than that it is harmless.

GC8

Sorry I wasnt really clear there; Calor is a brand name, the heaters run on Butane (blue cylinders) but they can run on Propane (orange cylinders). Gas forklifts run only on Propane which I understand doesnt burn quite as hot or as clean as Butance but its still way cleaner than a car exhaust. A site neednt be any better ventilated than it would be in order to use a Propane fuel space heater; less so probably as an internal combustion engine is a lot more efficient than a heater.

Simon

||VaNDaL||

lpg is not risk free nor cleaner than petrol engines

Hazards include lpg bneing heavier than air if any changing tank or charging leaks - it will travel to lowest part of floor/building so if not adequate airflow can lead to an explosive concentration in small pools.
secondary risk is incorrect combustion leaves carconogenic fumes (as does diesel|)

if you read other threads - remember catalytic converters are only useful at tickover - so indoor forklifts should where practical be electric

basis fro my views = RTITB reg/qualified instructor - and this is info that we are given by HSE, training boards and manufacturers

paulr

In our warehouse there is loads of black dust everywhere,much blacker than the normal stuff.

Edited to say when it settles,not in the air.

Flatcapdriver

I don't believe anyone is saying LPG is risk free - there is after all, no such thing and whilst your point about flammable concentrations potentially accumulating at low level is valid it is an extremely rare occurrence.

I'm not sure where you've got the information regarding catalytic converter efficiencies but it's incorrect. A 3 -way catalytic converter will achieve better results the higher the EGT and using a Pyroban unit as an example, temperatures above 200 degrees celsius (i.e. under load, not tickover) will produce very high conversion rates - 95% or higher.

Apart from the cost angle, electric trucks are no way near as efficient in terms of productivity or cost so I'd also dispute your assertion regarding the preferred use of electric over LPG. Where it can be more beneficial is in primary distribution areas such as food preparation or possibly cold stores where contamination or ventilation levels are critical or low.