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Employers are required to determine which kind of powered industrial
truck is required to do a job safely. They must consider load capacity,
terrain and potentially hazardous situations, such as the presence of
flammable liquids and gases or explosive dust.
In the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Standard
for Powered Industrial Trucks, there are 11 different designations of
industrial trucks or tractors: D, DS, DY, E, ES, EE, EX, G, GS, LP and
LPS. OSHA defines these designations as follows:
- D = units similar to the G units, except that they are diesel-engine powered instead of gasoline-engine powered.
- DS = diesel-powered units that are provided with additional safeguards to the exhaust, fuel and electrical systems. They may be used in some locations where a D unit may not be considered suitable.
- DY = diesel-powered units that have all the safeguards of the DS units and, in addition, do not have any electrical equipment, including the ignition, and are equipped with temperature limitation features.
- E = electrically powered units that have minimum acceptable safeguards against inherent fire hazards.
- ES = electrically powered units that, in addition to all of the requirements for the E units, are provided with additional safeguards to the electrical system to prevent generation of hazardous sparks and to limit surface temperatures. They may be used in some locations where the use of an E unit may not be considered suitable.
- EE = electrically powered units that have the electric motors and all other electrical equipment completely enclosed, in addition to all of the requirements for the E and ES units. In certain locations the EE unit may be used where the use of an E or an ES unit may not be considered suitable.
- EX = electrically powered units that differ from the E, ES and EE units in that the electrical fittings and equipment are so designed, constructed and assembled that the units may be used in certain atmospheres containing flammable vapors or dusts.
- G = gasoline-powered units having minimum acceptable safeguards against inherent fire hazards.
- GS = gasoline-powered units that are provided with additional safeguards to the exhaust, fuel and electrical systems. They may be used in some locations where the use of a G unit may not be considered suitable.
- LP = similar to the G unit except that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is used for fuel instead of gasoline.
- LPS = LPG-powered units that are provided with additional safeguards to the exhaust, fuel and electrical systems. They may be used in some locations where the use of an LP unit may not be considered suitable.
Note - NFPA 505, Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks Including Type Designations, Areas of Use, Conversions, Maintenance, and Operations- 2002 Edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association, has additional information on classifications for special circumstances.
COPYRIGHT ©2002, ISO Services Properties, Inc.
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