|
QUESTION:Does OSHA mandate fire extinguishers on industrial forklifts?I cannot find any OSHA regulation that mandates fire extinguisher on industrial forklifts.
ANSWER: OSHA requires fire extinguishers where ever there is a source for ignition, on internal combustion engines that would be the fuel it runs on (gas, diesel, or LPG). Battery powered (also called electric) forklifts pose a fire hazard when recharging due to the hydrogen gas that is produced. Plus you have the standards that involve Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Compressed Gases.
Additionally, OSHA incorporates most ANSI standards by reference and both ANSI and the DOT recommend having fire extinguishers on all vehicles with internal combustion engines. OSHA also cites NFPA standards of which several apply to forklifts. (In ANSI and NFPA standards they are referred to as Powered Industrial Trucks.)
The fun part about OSHA isn't just complying with their standards, its finding all of the related industry standards that have been incorporated by reference.
I have enclosed a link to the ANSI website for a spreadsheet of incorporated standards that OSHA cites. Do a search for the phrase "Powered Industrial Truck" to find the relevant information. (If it asks for a network password just click "Cancel" to load the document.)
Source(s):
http://public.ansi.org/ansionline/docume...
|
|
|
|
