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Battery charging and storage?

Yankee Chronicler

Yankee Chronicler

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Oct 17, 2023
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Location
New England
I'm reviewing plans for a major addition to a large trucking company terminal building. They will be basically doubling the size of the existing terminal. The existing terminal has 60 truck bays, the addition will add another 40. The plans show parking spaces at one end of the terminal for twenty (20) fork lifts, with what appears to be thirteen (13) charging stations, plus one spare circuit.

The fork lift parking and charging area is all in one end of the open (indoor) terminal building. Are there any NFPA or OSHA codes or regulations addressing charging of fork lift batteries, storage of spare batteries, or where fork lift batteries can be serviced? Going back 30 or 40 years I remember working on a factory that had a special room, with fire-rated concrete masonry walls all around, for battery charging. But that was a long time ago and all the codes have changed multiple times since then.

My state does not appear to have adopted NFPA 70E, if that matters.

If you have any advice, I'd appreciate it.
 
We just work with a company that had on their plans legacy charging and maintenances stations for lead acid batterers, now that they use lithium all that went away.
 
Yankee Chronicler said:
I'm reviewing plans for a major addition to a large trucking company terminal building. They will be basically doubling the size of the existing terminal. The existing terminal has 60 truck bays, the addition will add another 40. The plans show parking spaces at one end of the terminal for twenty (20) fork lifts, with what appears to be thirteen (13) charging stations, plus one spare circuit.

The fork lift parking and charging area is all in one end of the open (indoor) terminal building. Are there any NFPA or OSHA codes or regulations addressing charging of fork lift batteries, storage of spare batteries, or where fork lift batteries can be serviced? Going back 30 or 40 years I remember working on a factory that had a special room, with fire-rated concrete masonry walls all around, for battery charging. But that was a long time ago and all the codes have changed multiple times since then.

My state does not appear to have adopted NFPA 70E, if that matters.

If you have any advice, I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
What is the nature of your concern?
 
ICE said:
What is the nature of your concern?
Click to expand...

My concern is that if the batteries are lead-acid batteries, they emit explosive fumes when charging. Typically, one fork lift being charged wouldn't be an issue. Having a row of 8, 10, or 12 of them all charging at once could result in a concentration of explosive vapors. I recall many, many years ago having done the working drawings for a factory that used electric fork lifts, and on that project we included a battery charging room that was completely enclosed in reinforced CMU walls. If I remember correctly, that was the one project on which I had to detail an explosion panel on the exterior wall, as well.

But that was in another lifetime. we were under the BOCA code then, long before the ICC came into existence. And I don't remember if we did that because of the building code, the fire code, or the owner's requirement. Now I'm reviewing a trucking terminal with all these charging stations in a line in one place, and I'm not seeing any provision for venting of fumes or fire separation. (The building will be sprinklered.)

They also haven't stated if the batteries are or will be lead-acid or lithium-ion.
 
Yankee Chronicler said:
Code citation? I need to have a code section if I'm going to cite it on a plan review.
Click to expand...
IMC 502.3 ish maybe?

[F]​

Ventilation shall be provided in an approved manner in battery-charging areas for powered industrial trucks and equipment to prevent a dangerous accumulation of flammable gases.

[F]​

Stationary storage battery systems shall be regulated and ventilated in accordance with Section 1207.6.1 of the International Fire Code and the general requirements of this chapter.

[F]​

Stationary storage battery systems installed in cabinets shall be provided with ventilation in accordance with Section 502.4.
 
Steveray -- That table is for ESS systems. I don't think it applies to batteries in fork lifts and similar mobile equipment.

Found IMC 502.3. That's about all I found.

[F] 502.3 Battery-Charging Areas for Powered Industrial Trucks and Equipment​


Ventilation shall be provided in an approved manner in battery-charging areas for powered industrial trucks and equipment to prevent a dangerous accumulation of flammable gases.
Click to expand...

For the project I'm reviewing, the charging stations are new but they're in the existing portion of the terminal. There is no mechanical work proposed there, so we have no way of knowing what ventilation there is or isn't for the charging station area. Best I could do was kick it back to the architects and ask for documentation of how they comply.
 
I had a 400,000 square foot warehouse that obtained a permit for a "Hydrogen collection system". There was a wall lined with about 20 forklift chargers. The plan called for a draft curtain that hung down eight feet outlining an area over the charging operation. The ceiling was 42 feet above the floor. There was two sets of two roof top fans that were interlocked with the chargers. (picture provided) The reason for four fans was that one at each set would operate and if either failed to operate, the other fans were backup.
IMG_3133.JPG

Having never experienced a hydrogen collection system before then, I was ever so curious about explosion proof that and detonation proof this. Clearly, those fans are not that. Such was also the case with the conduit banks, disconnects and anything else electrical that could make a spark.

I researched the hydrogen issue and the battery makers stated that there is a negligible release of hydrogen at the end of a charging cycle. Given that a defined LFL would not be possible in a warehouse with the volume as what I was dealing with, a different path was chosen.

The company was attempting this because an insurance company required it.
 
Last edited:
Yankee Chronicler said:
My concern is that if the batteries are lead-acid batteries, they emit explosive fumes when charging. Typically, one fork lift being charged wouldn't be an issue. Having a row of 8, 10, or 12 of them all charging at once could result in a concentration of explosive vapors. I recall many, many years ago having done the working drawings for a factory that used electric fork lifts, and on that project we included a battery charging room that was completely enclosed in reinforced CMU walls. If I remember correctly, that was the one project on which I had to detail an explosion panel on the exterior wall, as well.

But that was in another lifetime. we were under the BOCA code then, long before the ICC came into existence. And I don't remember if we did that because of the building code, the fire code, or the owner's requirement. Now I'm reviewing a trucking terminal with all these charging stations in a line in one place, and I'm not seeing any provision for venting of fumes or fire separation. (The building will be sprinklered.)

They also haven't stated if the batteries are or will be lead-acid or lithium-ion.
Click to expand...
Many firms still use lead-acid batteries, so this is still a concern - which also affects energy storage systems under a certain size (chapter 4 IBC and NFPA 1 chapter 52).
 
Yankee Chronicler said:
Steveray -- That table is for ESS systems. I don't think it applies to batteries in fork lifts and similar mobile equipment.

Found IMC 502.3. That's about all I found.



For the project I'm reviewing, the charging stations are new but they're in the existing portion of the terminal. There is no mechanical work proposed there, so we have no way of knowing what ventilation there is or isn't for the charging station area. Best I could do was kick it back to the architects and ask for documentation of how they comply.
Click to expand...
What kind of forklifts and what kind of chargers are they using. If they are lithium-ion its a non-issue since they don't offgas.
 
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