We’ve talked in the past about protecting forklift operators during the summer heat. Anyone working in & around warehouses needs heat protection too. Not to mention your products!

By keeping barriers between them and the heat, you’re keeping everyone safe, and reducing temperature-related damage.

The 2 biggest barriers (and heat-sensitive elements) are the forklifts and the warehouse’s doors. Let’s identify the heat vulnerabilities & protection methods to factor in. That way this article serves as a quick reference for your Summer safety prep.

Heat Failure Points on Forklifts

We’ve all seen a forklift overheat—and it’s not pretty! Too much heat exposure risks dropped loads, cracked seals, broken/leaking hoses, even tire blowouts.

The 3 most common reasons these can & do fail, leading to overheated operators, are:
 

1. Lack of maintenance. Broken cabin seals, worn fans or hoses, leaks...all can cause trouble in a forklift. Regular maintenance catches all of these before they trigger a problem.
    
2. Improper operation. Running loads too heavy, driving too fast, riding the brake...all solvable with a training refresh, but you have to spot the behavior before it wears the forklift down.
    
3. Dirty work environment.  It’s too easy for a forklift to vacuum up debris that blocks its vents & clogs its filters. Then you risk overheating the engine AND the operator!

How to Safeguard Forklifts Against Heat Damage

1. Keep the maintenance consistent. Easily the #1 heat protection option. Covers everything that might fail if left in the heat too long:
   • Climate control checks/refilling 
   • Vent checks
   • Fluid top-offs
   • Seal checks/replacements
      
2. Outdoor shade for parking forklifts. If your facility doesn’t already have a covered, vented space to store forklifts, you can set up a canopy or overhang.
    
3. Cycle forklifts throughout shifts to give them breaks. Even a few hours of shaded rest cools a forklift down.
    
4. Install a sun shield. These are overhead covers for open-top forklifts. They block direct sunlight to help keep the cab temperature down.
    
5. High-Heat forklift options – If your area regularly gets scorching temperatures in Summer, investing in specialized forklift models may help a lot. 
   • Some brands offer special forklift designs & options like high-capacity cooling systems, premium vent packages, dedicated transmission oil coolers, and others.

Heat Failure Points on Warehouse Doors

What’s the most likely heat-related point of failure on a warehouse door?

It’s not the front surface. The door surface itself, for most door types, does a great job of blocking heat.

It’s actually the seals on both sides, followed by its brush. These are parts of the door designed to protect the warehouse from things like impact, debris, cold air, and heat. But they’re made of rubber & plastic.

When those get too hot over time, they start to fail. The seals crack and pull away. Brushes can come off the door, opening gaps at the base. (Which also lets in bugs…hello OSHA violation.)

The door types most susceptible to heat-related failure are high-speed doors and roll-up steel doors. They absorb the most heat, and from what we’ve seen, tend to see seals & brushes fail most often.

How to Safeguard Warehouse Doors Against Heat Damage & Leaks

1. Choose doors with built-in insulation, whenever possible. These are sectionals, high-speed doors, and (some) roll-up steel doors.
    
2. Inspect doors regularly. The sooner you catch a cracked seal or torn brush, the quicker you can have it replaced.
    
3. Replace any damaged door panels. These can pull away from seals, letting heat into the building.
   1. You can replace sections of some warehouse doors, like high-speeds. If one section is damaged, you don’t need to replace the whole door.
       
4. Put up signage with heat warnings during door open/close. This often discourages people from opening the doors unnecessarily.
   1. One customer we know puts ice chests with water bottles in it just inside their doors. Anyone who needs refreshment grabs a water bottle while the door opens/closes.

Let’s Keep the Heat Out This (and Every) Summer

Everyone knows not to touch a hot door. It’s doing its job by keeping heat out of the warehouse. It’s our job to watch for signs of heat exposure, for our forklift operators, and our warehouse teams. Now you know what to look out for, and what to fix before too much heat gets in.

Until next month! 
-The Forklifts Group Team

Deal of the Month

4 Heat-Related Safety Products for Summer

For our June Deal, we decided to feature some top safety products that help with Summer heat! Here are 4 products that make operation much cooler (and easier).

Sun Shield for Open-Top Forklifts

https://forklifttrainingsystems.com/Forklift-Ergonomics-and-Operator-Comfort/Forklift-Overhead-Sun-Shield-Solar-Cap

Blocks overhead sunlight to keep glare and heat off the operator.

Cooling Cushion/Back Rest

https://forklifttrainingsystems.com/product/cool-cushion-cool-back-rest/

Cooling gel inside!

Operator Fan

https://forklifttrainingsystems.com/product/forklift-operator-fan-with-magnet/

Extra airflow never hurts in summertime!

Forklift Battery Watering Cart

https://forklifttrainingsystems.com/Forklift-Battery-Safety/Forklift-Battery-Watering-Cart

Quick top-up on hand.

To get these Deals, head to our partner, Forklift Training Systems. Or call Forklifts Group at 800-464-3225 and ask for the June Deal of the Month.