Thompson and Johnson Equipment Company
Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co., Inc.
July 2005
Propane Cylinder Tank Relief Valves Must Be Oriented
Properly
The relief valve on the propane cylinder tank needs to point at the 12:00 o'clock or up position when
installing the tank on your forklift. That is what the purpose of the locator pin on the propane tank bracket is
for. In this position, the relief valve will be in the vapor space of the propane tank and will work properly.
Should the tank build up too much pressure, it will release just the pressure in the tank, not the fuel. So
please make sure the relief valves on your propane tanks are pointing straight up. See this month's
Training Tip below for more on how this relief valve and other parts of the tank work.
Also note that any relief valves on the propane tank or the bulkhead fitting that the propane hose connects to
need to be covered with a weather protective cap so dirt cannot cause the relief valve to stick shut. OSHA
can levy a fine against your company because this cap is missing. OSHA law 1910.110(h)(4)(i) states:
"Safety-relief valves and discharge piping shall be protected against physical damage. The outlet shall be
provided with loose-fitting rain caps. There shall be no return bends or restrictions in the discharge piping."
Safe Handling of Fuels Used in Forklifts
Forklifts run on a few different types of fuels. Gasoline, diesel, natural gas and propane are the main types of
fuel used. Certain safety concerns come into play when refueling your forklifts.
Gas and Diesel
Gas and diesel fuels are highly combustible. When refueling your trucks with either fuel, you should be in an
area that is well ventilated. Always shut the truck off; do not leave it running while refueling. This is covered
under OSHA law 1910.178(p)(2): "Fuel tanks shall not be filled while the engine is running. Spillage shall be
avoided." 1910.178(p)(3) also states: "Spillage of oil or fuel shall be carefully washed away or completely
evaporated and the fuel tank cap replaced before restarting the engine."
NEVER use an open flame to check for fuel levels in your tank, OSHA law 1910.178(p)(5) states: "Open
flames shall not be used for checking electrolyte levels in storage batteries or gasoline levels in fuel tanks."
This also means NO SMOKING while refueling your trucks. When done refueling, always wipe up any spills
and place the cap back on the top of the tank. Report any leaks to a supervisor so they can be repaired and
tag the truck out of service until repairs are made to the forklift. This is covered under OSHA Law 1910.178
(p)(4): "No truck shall be operated with a leak in the fuel system until the leak has been corrected."
Propane
Propane fuel, commonly known as LPG, is a very popular fuel used on internal combustion forklifts. Certain
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safety rules apply in the safe handling of LPG. Propane is a colorless, tasteless, odorless, nontoxic (non
poisonous) and heavier than air gas. A smell is added to propane to aid in the detection of leaks. It is stored
in a cylinder under pressure and stays in a liquid state. The temperature of this gas while in this cylinder is
around -45°F. It has a boiling point of -44° at which point it will turn to a vapor.
When changing a propane tank, certain precautions should be taken:
1. Before exiting your forklift, set the parking brake and chock the wheels if on an incline.
2. Check the area around you. Are you near any open flames or sparks?
3. Go around to the side of the fork truck and shut the fuel valve off on your propane tank.
4. Get back into the operator's compartment and try to start your truck one more time. If it does not
start, you are safely out of fuel in the lines and the pressure has been reduced.
5. Go back to the side of the forklift and wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) before going any
further. The use of rubber gloves is recommended, so if you forgot to close the valve on the tank,
the propane fuel will not absorb into the rubber gloves as it might with cloth gloves and do serious
harm to your skin. Caution! At -44°F, this will not frostbite you, it will burn your skin! Also protect
your eyes: goggles or an eye shield are preferred.
6. Unscrew the coupling from the tank, release the tank brackets and remove the tank from the truck.
Use proper lifting techniques when putting the full propane tank up on the truck; a full tank is heavy!
7. Place the full tank on the truck.
8. Line up the hole in the collar of the tank with the locator pin on your tank bracket, making sure that
the pressure relief valve on the tank is facing in the up position.
9. Screw the hose coupling onto the full tank. Always check the hose for any cracks, cuts or leaks and
report any problems immediately.
10. Secure the tank brackets and turn the valve on the tank to the open position.
11. Then, Listen, Look and Smell for any leaks. Because of the odor placed in the propane,
you should be able to smell a leak immediately. A leak is also easily identifiable by sight, because
you will see a heavy frost built up where it is leaking. Again, do not touch this area with your bare
hands, you can burn your skin. Never use an open flame to check for a propane leak (see 1910.178
(p)(5) above) and never smoke while changing a propane tank.
12. Tag the truck out of service if it has a leak and report it to your supervisor immediately as stated in
1910.178(p)(4). Also report any damaged propane tanks to a supervisor.
13. At the end of your shift or the end of the work day, always shut off the valve on the propane tank.
According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA 5-4.1), storage of propane tanks outside of buildings
awaiting use shall be at least 20 feet away from any doorway or opening in a building frequented by the
public. Protection of cylinders under NFPA 5-4.2.1(b) states: "A lockable ventilated metal locker or rack that
prevents tampering with valves and pilferage of the cylinder."
For Inside storage, OSHA 1910.110(f)(4)(i) states: "The quantity of LP gas stored inside building(s) will not
exceed 300 pounds." This means if a standard LP tank holds 33 pounds, then no more than nine tanks can
be stored inside, even if some tanks are full, half full or empty. Note, propane tanks already on the forklifts do
NOT count toward this number. Exceeding this number is considered a SERIOUS violation in OSHA's view
and can result in a $1,100 fine.
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Basic Anatomy and Operation of the Forklift Propane Fuel
Cylinder
Propane cylinders are constructed of either steel or aluminum and are built to the specifications of the
Department of Transportation (DOT). They are rugged, but should never be mishandled or abused. The
bottom footing is designed to keep the cylinder steady when the cylinder is in the upright position. The top
collar is designed to protect the fittings and provide positioning holes for properly mounting the cylinder on a
forklift.
A propane cylinder is designed to contain
propane in its liquid form. Propane is stored in
the cylinder under pressure to keep the
propane in a liquid state. Liquid propane reacts
in much the same way to temperature and
pressure as water, except propane's boiling
point is much lower on the thermometer.
Propane's boiling point is around -44°F, and
with any temperature above this point, it would
look and act just like water boiling in a pot on a
stove: the propane would boil and vaporize.
When water or propane vaporizes, it causes pressure and that pressure is contained inside the propane
cylinder ranging from 30 to 200 psig. The ambient temperature outside the container governs the vapor
pressure in the tank, not by the amount of liquid propane inside (Figure 1).
When the pressure reaches 128
psig, it acts against the liquid
propane, and the boiling point has
been raised to slightly more than 80°
F. So if the propane container
temperature is 80°F or less, the
propane will remain in a liquid form.
If the temperature of the cylinder
were to exceed roughly 130°, the
tank contains a safety relief valve
(located in the vapor section) that
would release any pressure in
excess of 300 psig. Propane is then
drawn out through the liquid service
valve supplying propane to your
forklift. The liquid service valve is
connected to the liquid withdrawal
tube (Figure 2, Item 8) which is a
tube that extends down below the
surface level of liquid propane.
It is very important that the end of
this tube is submersed in the liquid
propane. The locator pin (Figure 2,
Item 10) on the truck is there to
assist in placing the liquid
withdrawal tube into the liquid
propane. If the tank were to become rotated so that the tube was out of the liquid (Figure 3), the truck would
run out of fuel simulating an empty tank. So in order to utilize all the fuel in the propane cylinder, make sure
all your trucks have the locator pin in place and your forklift operators locate their tanks on that pin.
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T & J Given Award for Excellence
Thompson & Johnson was recently recognized with the "Certificate of Excellence" from Toyota Material
Handling for Aftermarket Sales and Service Excellence at our Syracuse location. The award is based on an
evaluation and certification program that includes 25 standards the dealership must attain, including such
criteria as:
● Proper tools
● Up-to-date Manuals and CDs that are readily accessible for the mechanics
● Follow-up program to help insure customer satisfaction after the repair
● Utilizing a Service Dispatch System to monitor breakdown calls and to schedule Planned
Maintenance Services
This prestigious Award reinforces Thompson & Johnson's commitment to providing outstanding parts and
service support to our Toyota customers. The remaining three locations are scheduled to be evaluated in
2005 and 2006.
Save the Date
Train-the-Trainer seminars are being held this month on July 22 in Albany and July 29 in Syracuse. Please
contact Dave Bennett for additional information at 315-437-2881 x146 or dbennett@thompsonandjohnson.
com.
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Crown's Work Assist Vehicle
Consider the time it takes an individual to transport, put away or
retrieve multiple loads of products using manual equipment such
as ladders and handcarts. The Crown "Wave" Work Assist Vehicle
can virtually cut that time – and your labor – in half. The Wave is a
revolutionary, mobile productivity tool that eliminates the risks
associated with climbing ladders and improves load handling
ergonomics to reduce back and other injuries. There is no safer,
faster or more cost-effective way to help your workers transport, lift
or move products, tools, equipment and supplies than with the
Crown Wave.
Please contact your local Thompson & Johnson representative for
additional information or to schedule an application survey and demonstration.
If you would like additional information about items mentioned in this newsletter,
call us at (315) 437-2881 or send e-mail to sales@thompsonandjohnson.com.
Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co., Inc. • 6926 Fly Road • East Syracuse, NY 13057 • (315)
437-2881
www.thompsonandjohnson.com
Published by Data Key Communications, LLC
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