The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety bulletin in response to issues on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) powered forklift trucks and other similar vehicles.
UKMHA had issued its own warning last year after being contacted by a number of members following a series of fuel system failures. The association issued its warning following a series of incidents in Central and Northern England involving LPG powered trucks.
Outlining the problems, the HSE said there had been issues with trucks not starting due to sticking valves caused by deposits building-up in vaporiser units, flow regulators and shut off valves. It said the build-up of deposits could lead to sticking valves and the mixture supplied to the engine being too rich to be ignited.
It warned that repeated starting attempts could result in the release of unburned LPG, which in extreme cases could be ignited, setting fire to the truck and surrounding materials.
It has said that operators should:
- review their safe systems of work in relation to the use of all LPG powered lift trucks and similar vehicles
- provide information, instruction and training for all operators about the hazards raised in this alert
- park LPG vehicles in well-ventilated areas free from flammable material, particularly when parking overnight or for longer periods
If a truck does not start within the normal few seconds, it adds:
- do NOT continue to turn (crank) the engine over using the starter
- do NOT repeat the normal engine starting procedure
- do NOT spray volatile agents into the air intake in an attempt to aid starting
- get off the truck and close the shut off valve to isolate the gas bottle
- secure the truck to prevent further starting attempts
- ensure the area is well ventilated
- do NOT attempt to solve or repair the problem yourself, arrange for a competent maintenance engineer to do a check of the LPG system
When service and maintenance engineers are presented with an LPG powered truck with a starting problem, the HSE advice is:
- do NOT follow the normal starting procedure
- isolate the LPG supply by closing the shut off valve
- ensure that the area is well ventilated
- disconnect the battery
- release LPG pressure trapped in the fuel supply system
- follow the manufacturer’s guidance for inspection of the LPG system
The HSE reiterated that LPG is cold, so appropriate precautions should be taken when working with it. Once released LP gas is heavier than air and can pool in low lying areas, where it can be ignited by any source of ignition, including static electricity, electrical sparks and hot surfaces.
Operators seeking additional guidance have been advised to check the following sources of information:
- Approved Code of Practice and guidance Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training and safe use
- Guidance About liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
Relevant legal documentation can be found in the Regulation 12 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) which requires that the risks to users from work equipment catching fire are adequately controlled.
David Goss, Technical Director, UKMHA said: “We have been working closely with HSE to identify the root cause of the problem and our advice remains unchanged and that is, that members should follow the steps outlined in the HSE’s latest Safety Bulletin.”
For more details on the Safety Alert issued by the UKMHA last November, follow the link here
