As a common material handling tool in modern warehouses, manufacturing plants and logistics yards, electric forklifts feature low emission and low noise performance, but their operating areas often have stored flammable gas cylinders or hazardous chemical barrels. Once unexpected gas leak or chemical spill incidents occur around the running electric forklift, operators need to follow standardized procedures to avoid secondary risks.

The first step for all emergency responses is to cut off potential ignition sources immediately. Operators should park the forklift at a safe position, turn off the whole power system completely, pull up the hand brake, and do not press any operation buttons that may generate electric sparks. Then move to the upwind area at least 10 meters away from the suspected leak or spill point, and report the situation to the on-site safety supervisor immediately. It is necessary to set up obvious warning barriers around the incident area to prevent irrelevant personnel from entering the dangerous space by mistake.

When facing gas leak situations, personnel on site are strictly forbidden to light any open fire, or turn on or off any lighting equipment, mobile phone or electrical switch that may produce static sparks. Professional safety personnel can use special gas detection equipment to test the concentration of leaked gas in the air, and only when the concentration drops to the safe threshold can they enter the area to check the leakage point. Ordinary forklift operators are not allowed to try to block the leak point without professional protective equipment, to avoid explosion risk caused by improper operation.

When dealing with chemical spill incidents, the first priority is to confirm the category and hazard level of the spilled chemical with the help of site material safety data sheet. If the spilled material is corrosive or toxic, operators need to wear corresponding protective gloves, goggles and isolation clothes before approaching the spill area. Use dedicated inert adsorption materials to cover and collect the spilled chemical, instead of washing the spill area with plenty of tap water which may cause the hazardous material to spread into the public drainage system. All collected hazardous waste shall be placed into the designated sealed container for subsequent compliant disposal.

After the whole incident is handled completely, the site management team shall record the whole process of the incident in detail, sort out the hidden dangers in daily operation, and organize regular emergency drills for all forklift operators to enhance their emergency response ability, so as to reduce the occurrence probability of similar safety risks.