Safety selection and explosion-proof requirements for electric forklifts in the chemical industry

Production and storage scenarios in the chemical industry often involve flammable, explosive, volatile solvents, combustible powders, and other special materials. The safety of equipment in the material handling process is directly related to the overall production and operation stability of the plant. Electric forklifts, as high-frequency handling equipment used in the plant, are one of the core modules of safety production management in chemical enterprises.

When carrying out the safety selection of electric forklifts, it is first necessary to match the equipment corresponding to the protection level according to the hazard level classification standard in the operation area. Electric forklifts in ordinary civilian scenarios cannot be directly selected for use in high-risk chemical storage areas. Before selection, it is necessary to sort out the actual attributes of the operation scene one by one, such as the storage area involving bulk combustible powder, and give priority to the structural design of the whole machine to prevent dust accumulation; in the area involving low flash point liquid turnover, it is necessary to confirm that the whole chain electrostatic export mechanism of the equipment meets the requirements of the scene. At the same time, it is necessary to match the equipment corresponding to the rated load, body size, and lifting height according to the common material weight, working channel width, and storage shelf height for daily handling to avoid additional safety hazards caused by long-term overload use or insufficient equipment parameters and scene adaptation. For different forms of chemical material packaging, such as barrels, container tanks, special packaging bags, etc., it is necessary to choose the original factory-adapted compliance attachments, and do not modify non-standard attachments that have not been safety checked.

Regarding the explosion-proof compliance requirements of electric forklifts, first of all, it must meet the current domestic industrial explosion-proof related safety standards. All components that may generate electric sparks and high temperatures during operation, including drive motors, control circuit boards, terminals, battery management modules, etc., must be treated with corresponding explosion-proof, sealing or insulation protection to avoid internal sparks during operation from leaking to external high-risk environments. The metal parts of the equipment shell should be treated with anti-static spraying, and all exposed metal structures should be set up with reliable static electricity export paths to avoid static electricity accumulation and discharge during operation friction or material contact. The power battery pack of an electric forklift should be equipped with a complete overcharge, overtemperature, and overcurrent warning protection mechanism. During the daily operation and maintenance of the equipment, the combustible dust accumulated in the heat dissipation gap should be cleaned up in a timely manner. Do not disassemble and replace the original explosion-proof structural components without permission. All maintenance and modification operations should be carried out in non-hazardous areas.

Chemical companies should also incorporate the safety management of electric forklifts into their daily inspection systems, organize regular training for operators on explosion-proof operation norms, and prohibit operators from installing unrelated electrical equipment for forklifts without permission. They should also implement management requirements from procurement access, daily use, and regular maintenance to reduce safety hazards in the handling process in an all-round way.