Lesson 1Thermal behaviour and overheating causes during charge: internal resistance, ventilation, charger profiles, ambient temperature effectsExamines how traction batteries heat up during charging, with focus on internal resistance, charger settings, airflow, and room temperature. Highlights spotting unusual heating patterns and establishing safe limits to avoid damage or heat-related incidents.
Internal resistance and heat generationInfluence of charger current profilesRole of ventilation and airflow pathsAmbient temperature and seasonal effectsRecognizing abnormal temperature riseLesson 2Recordkeeping and battery lifecycle management: serial tracking, warranty claims, replacement planning, and ROI for battery replacement vs. refurbishmentCovers tracking batteries throughout their life using serial numbers, logs, and software. Explains recording faults, filing warranty claims, scheduling replacements, and weighing costs and returns of new batteries against refurbishing.
Serial number and asset ID trackingLogging faults, tests, and repairsSupporting warranty and service claimsPlanning replacements and spare poolsROI of replacement versus refurbishmentLesson 3Daily and shift‑level battery inspection checklist: visual checks, terminal condition, vent caps, electrolyte level (if applicable), and physical damage indicatorsOffers a practical daily and shift-wise inspection routine for traction batteries. Includes visual inspections, terminals, vent caps, electrolyte levels, cables, and casings to spot damage or leaks before they lead to breakdowns or accidents.
Pre‑shift visual walk‑around stepsChecking terminals and connectorsInspecting vent caps and traysVerifying electrolyte levels safelyIdentifying leaks and case damageLesson 4Types of traction batteries used in forklifts (lead-acid, AGM, gel, lithium‑ion): chemistry, nominal voltages, capacities, and discharge characteristicsIntroduces primary traction battery types in forklifts like flooded lead-acid, AGM, gel, and lithium-ion. Compares voltages, capacities, discharge patterns, and common uses, noting advantages, drawbacks, and safety requirements.
Flooded lead‑acid construction basicsAGM and gel sealed battery featuresLithium‑ion modules and BMS roleVoltage, capacity, and pack layoutsDischarge curves and use casesLesson 5Battery maintenance tasks and schedules: watering, cleaning terminals, torqueing connections, charge cycle logging, calendar vs. cycle maintenanceDetails regular traction battery maintenance tasks and schedules. Covers watering, terminal cleaning, torque verification, and charge cycle recording, comparing time-based and usage-based plans to prolong life and cut unexpected stoppages.
Watering intervals and safe methodsCleaning cases, tops, and terminalsTorque checks on lugs and busbarsLogging charge and discharge cyclesCalendar versus cycle‑based planningLesson 6Managing overheating and charging faults: detection, immediate actions, charger fault codes, thermal management, and cooling strategiesAddresses spotting overheating and charging issues via sensors, charger screens, and error codes. Outlines instant safe responses, isolation steps, and effective cooling methods to safeguard batteries and adjacent equipment.
Typical charger and battery fault symptomsReading and interpreting charger fault codesImmediate shutdown and lockout actionsUsing fans, spacing, and cooldown periodsWhen to remove a battery from serviceLesson 7Battery specifications and ratings: C‑rate, ampere‑hour (Ah), state of charge (SoC), depth of discharge (DoD), and expected runtime calculationsExplains essential battery specs on forklift plates and sheets, like C-rate, ampere-hours, charge state, and discharge depth. Teaches estimating runtime and selecting batteries for specific truck workloads.
Reading battery labels and nameplatesC‑rate and its impact on runtimeAmpere‑hour capacity and sizingState of charge and depth of dischargeRuntime estimation for duty cyclesLesson 8Safe handling, spill/leak response and disposal: PPE for acid and lithium incidents, neutralisation, spill containment, and local hazardous waste rulesDetails safe battery handling with PPE, lifting, and moving. Covers acid spills, electrolyte leaks, lithium issues, neutralising, containing, cleaning up, and following local waste disposal rules.
Required PPE for acid and lithium risksSafe lifting, moving, and storageAcid spill neutralization proceduresContainment and cleanup materialsDisposal and recycling regulationsLesson 9Charging area layout and safety rules: ventilation, signage, fire suppression considerations, separation distances, grounding and cable routingCovers designing and running charging zones safely, including ventilation, signs, fire safety, spacing, earthing, cable paths, eyewash stations, and keeping flames away.
Ventilation and hydrogen dilution needsRequired signage and access controlFire suppression and extinguisher typesSeparation from offices and trafficGrounding, cabling, and trip hazardsLesson 10Relevant standards and sources: manufacturer battery manuals, OSHA/NFPA guidance for battery rooms, and battery manufacturer safety bulletinsSummarises key standards for battery rooms and charging areas. Reviews maker manuals, OSHA/NFPA rules, and safety notices, teaching how to find, understand, and implement them on-site.
Using manufacturer battery manualsOSHA rules for charging operationsNFPA guidance for battery roomsLocating safety bulletins and updatesDocumenting site compliance stepsLesson 11Handling low runtime and capacity fade: diagnosing sulfation, cell imbalance, parasitic loads, and end‑of‑life criteriaFocuses on diagnosing reduced runtime and capacity loss. Covers sulfation, cell imbalance, drain loads, and end-life signs, connecting tests to repair, recondition, or replace choices.
Collecting runtime and charge historyIdentifying sulfation and undercharge patternsDetecting weak or imbalanced cellsFinding parasitic loads on parked trucksEnd‑of‑life criteria and replacement callsLesson 12Battery charging systems and safe charging practices: charger types, charge algorithms, float vs. fast charge, equalisation chargingExplains forklift charging setups like standard, quick, and opportunity chargers. Covers algorithms, equalisation, float charging, and safe methods to avoid overcharging, gassing, and early wear.
Conventional, opportunity, and fast chargersCharge stages and control algorithmsEqualization charge goals and timingFloat charging and storage practicesPreventing overcharge and gassingLesson 13Periodic battery testing and diagnostics: specific gravity/hydrometer testing, conductance/impedance testing, capacity tests, voltage under loadDescribes regular and advanced tests like specific gravity, conductance, impedance, and capacity. Explains load voltage and reading results to detect weak cells, imbalance, or faults early.
Safe sampling for specific gravity testsOpen‑circuit and loaded voltage checksConductance and impedance test basicsFull capacity and discharge testingInterpreting test trends over time
