Forklift Battery Charging and Changing SWMS

For warehouses, depots, factories and hire businesses that charge and change lead-acid forklift batteries. It follows the job from setting up the charging area and isolating the battery through lifting, inspection, charging and topping up to refitting, spill clean-up and waste. It does not cover driving the forklift.

Charging and changing forklift batteries in a workplace is not high risk construction work, so a SWMS is legally required only where it is part of high risk construction work (WHS Regulation s 299); otherwise it works as a written safe work procedure or task risk assessment. Tick the items that apply if the work is part of a construction project.

Learn More: What Is A Safe Work Method Statement?
Have you ever been asked to provide a SWMS on a project in Queensland? Read our guide to what a Safe Work Method Statement is and when you need one.

What Is Covered In Our Forklift Battery Charging and Changing SWMS?

The job steps run in the order the work is done, from pre-start checks to finishing up. The hazards and controls include:

• Hydrogen gas from charging and ignition sources
• Sulfuric acid splashes and spills
• Short circuits and arcing across terminals
• Electric shock from chargers and leads
• Dropped or tipped heavy batteries
• Crushing hands and feet when fitting batteries
• Overfilling and adding the wrong liquid
• Eye injury and the need for an eyewash
• Acid residue carried out on clothing and hands
• Old batteries leaking or stacked unsafely
• Strains from pulling batteries and equipment

High Risk Construction Work

No high risk construction work items (WHS Regulation 2011 (Qld) s 291) are pre-ticked, because this work is not high risk construction work by itself. Tick the items that apply to your job, such as a fall risk of more than 2 metres or work where powered mobile plant is moving.

Licences, Training and Competency

• Workers trained in battery handling, charging, acid and hydrogen hazards, the SDS and the controls in this SWMS (WHS Regulation s 39)
• Training in the use of battery lifting equipment, extractors and chargers, and in spill clean-up with neutraliser
• Licensed electrical worker for electrical work on chargers and outlets, such as installing, repairing and testing (Electrical Safety Act 2002 s 55)
• High risk work licence for the licence class of any bridge or gantry crane (Schedule 3 item 12) used to lift a battery; forklift operation is covered by its own SWMS
• Site induction; general construction induction training card (white card) only if the work is on a construction site
• An adequate number of workers trained in first aid or with access to trained persons (WHS Regulation s 42)

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)
• Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Labelling of Workplace Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Preparation of Safety Data Sheets for Hazardous Chemicals Code of Practice 2021
• Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Hazardous Manual Tasks Code of Practice 2021
• How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice 2021
• First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice 2021
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): electrical work needs a licensed electrical worker (s 55)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (13 pages), laid out on A4 landscape pages
• Business, client, job and document details typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• The high risk construction work checklist, worded as WHS Regulation s 291, and the construction project question (s 292)
• A worker and health and safety representative consultation record
• Qualifications, plant, PPE, hazardous chemicals, safety equipment, permits, references and emergency arrangements filled in for this work
• A 5 x 5 risk matrix, and job steps with initial and residual risk scores and the people responsible
• Implementing, monitoring and review requirements, an additional controls log, revision history and a worker sign-on sheet

Review and adjust it for your site, your plant and the way your crew does the job, and talk it through with your workers before work starts. If you have any trouble downloading this SWMS, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading this SWMS.