INDUSTRIAL LOADER AND FORKLIFT FIRES

Marty
January 2009
Ahrens

Natio ction Fire Analysis and Research

nal Asso Division
Fire ciatio
Prote n

involved in ignition. these fires Fire Protection

Abstract These fires caused an originated in the Associations (NFPAs)
estimated average of 22 vehicles engine annual fire department
NFPA estimates that in civilian injuries, and area running gear or experience survey.
$36 wheel area. These
2003-2006, U.S. fire million in direct estimates Previously published
property damage per are based on data
departments responded year. Ninety-one from Version 5.0 of incident descriptions are
percent of the fires the U.S. Fire
to an estimated total of were coded as Administrations included to better illustrate
1,340 structure and vehicle fires. These (USFAs) National
vehicle fires per year in vehicle fires occurred in Fire how these fires can
which industrial loaders a wide variety of Incident Reporting happen.
or forklifts were properties. Almost System (NFIRS)
directly two-thirds of and the National
 participate in the and maintaining 617-770-3000. To learn
National Fire Incident NFIRS. more about the One-Stop
Keywords: Forklift, Reporting System Data Shop go to
(NFIRS) and the www.nfpa.org/osds or call
annual NFPA fire For more 617-984-7443.
industrial loader, fire experience survey.
These firefighters are Copies of this analysis are
the original sources of information about
statistics the available from:
detailed data that make
this analysis possible. the National Fire National Fire Protection
Acknowledgements Their contributions
allow us to estimate the Association
The National Fire size of the fire problem. Protection One-Stop Data Shop
1 Batterymarch Park
Protection Association We are also grateful to Quincy, MA 02169-7471
Association, visit www.nfpa.org
thanks all the fire the U.S. Fire e-mail: osds@nfpa.org
phone: 617-984-7443
departments and state Administration for its www.nfpa.org or
NFPA No. USS76
fire work in developing, Copyright 2008, National Fire
call Protection Association, Quincy,
authorities who M
coordinating,
A
from storage, a fire fire.
Executive
fire involving thousands overwhelmed
Summary
such a vehicle can the sprinkler In 2000, a
also be spread of aerosol system, killed
Industrial loaders, along the same cans a sprinkler limited
path. Even containi 36-year-old
forklifts, and properly operating ng employee, the spread of an
material handling isobuten injured three
related material- equipment can be e- others, and Illinois
a heat source if propane destroyed the
handling vehicles flammable liquids propella building.1 warehouse fire
or gases leaked or nts had
are used in a wide spilled. been Industrial loader, that began after a
crushed forklift hit a
variety of In December in a forklift or related
space heater
settings, including recyclin and damaged
construction sites, 1997, a g material handling
the heaters
industrial yards, centers natural gas
manufacturing, propane fueled compact vehicle operation can feed line. 2
and storage or. The
properties. fork lift was resultin also damage the In a 1987 paint
Because these g structure or its
vehicles carry turned on after explosio contents. This warehouse fire in
materials to and n and damage can lead to a
 and the or related The 1,340 fires
Ohio, cartons fire material- include 1,220 (91%) in the area, running
ultimately handling that were coded as gear area or wheel
fell off raised caused $49 vehicles were vehicle fires. These area. An unclassified
million in directly fires caused an mechanical failure or
pallets. Some direct involved in average of 10 malfunction was a
property ignition per civilian injuries and factor in 27%
fell on the damage (in year. This $24.5 million in of these fires.
lift truck, 1987 typically means direct property Electrical failures or
3
spilling dollars). the vehicle was damage per year. malfunctions
flammable the The 120 contributed to 26%.
During 2003- heat source for structure fires (9%) Leaks or breaks were
liquid,
while the fire. These caused an average of factors in 14%. A
2006, U.S. fire fires caused an 12 civilian injuries flammable or
more
spilled on estimated and $11.5 million in combustible liquid
departments average of 22 direct property gas, pipe, or filter
the floor.
Sparks civilian damage per year. was the item first
responded to an injuries, and ignited
from the
truck $36.0 million Almost two-thirds of in more than one-
ignited the estimated annual in direct third of the loader or
fire. The property these incidents that forklift vehicle fires.
forklift average of 1,340 damage per In one-quarter of
operator structure and year. No were coded as these incidents,
was vehicle fires in deaths were electrical wire or
burned which industrial reported in vehicle fires started cable insulation was
loaders, forklifts, these incidents. first ignited.
1
Kenneth J. January/February, Firewatch, 24. Warehouse Fire, MA: National Fire
Tremblay, 1999, 19. 3 Dayton, Ohio, May Protection
Firewatch, NFPA 2Kenneth J. NFPA Journal, Michael. S. Isner.
27, 1987, Quincy, Association Fire
Journal, March/April, Flammable Liquid
Tremblay, 2001, Investigations.

Industrial Forklifts, 1/09 NFPA Fire Research,

Loader and i Analysis and Quincy, MA

System to the involved, heat the equipment when no fire

These and structure, only one starts it, plays a role. systems. is present.
statistics NFPAs it is may be their role
are
national annual fire coded coded. may not be These Should a fire The incident
estimates departmen as a When captured occur, a
derived t vehicle industrial in the coded vehicles and damaged descriptions
from experience fire. loaders, data. It is sprinkler
Version survey. Either forklifts and likely that their loads system may included in
5.0 of the When a equipme related these be less
U.S. Fire fire occurs nt or equipment statistics can also effective or this analysis
Administr
ations in a mobile start a chain underestimat may not
vehicle property of e the bump into operate at all. show what
National
Fire inside a may be events that frequency of A damaged
structure documen lead to a fire fires in and damage sprinkler can happen.
Incident
Reporting but does ted. If but do not which may also
not spread both are provide the this sprinkler release water They are not
 this NFPA 505, Including , and
a source collection Both the show the procedures Fire Safety Type Operation
to learn were more Standard Designations provides
about what severe incidents importance when for , Areas of guidance on
typically than using these Powered Use, their safe
occurs. the typical and the of following vehicles. Industrial Conversions, operation.
Most of incident. The 2006 Trucks Maintenance
the fires in statistics proper edition of

Industrial and 1/09 NFPA Fire Research,

Loader Forklifts, ii Analysis and Quincy, MA

Table of Content s

Executi Publi
ve s al Sheet l Loader Addition ng Tables are
Selected shed
Summa NFPA
ry iii Loade v and al 3 Calculate Published Fire
i
Invest
Table List of r and Overvie Forklift Informat Appendix d Incidents igatio
n
of Tables Forklif w Vehicle ion A. How 9 17 Repor
Appendix ts
Content iv t Fires 1 Fires 2 National Appendi C. 40
Previousl
Industri Fact Industria 2 Supporti Estimates x B. y

Industri Loader Forklif iii Fire and Quincy,

al and ts, 1/09 NFPA Analysis Research, MA

e Fires were al
List
in
of Tables
1.
Involvi Forklift Occupa Industri Forklift by Area Indu Forklif by Item Loader
ng in or
which
Page Forklift
Ignitio
Industri s ncy al s of strial t First
Table Indust n , by Vehicle
A. rial Inciden Fires,
Struct Loade talType Vehicle 5 Loader Vehicle Origin Loa Vehicl Ignited by
1 Factor
ure rs or Contrib
Loader Fires, Table or Fires, 6 der e 7
and Forkli Table uting to
Table 4. Ignition
Vehicl fts
or by 2. Table 3. or Fires, Industri 8

Indus Loade Fork 1/09 NFPA Analys Researc Quincy

trial r and lifts, iv Fire is and h, , MA
 Data Analysi Res h sion Batt mar Par Quincy, 0216 Em s@ ww pa.org
One- Shop s earc Divi One ery ch k, MA 9 ail: nfpa w.nf
Stop Fire osd .org
Industrial
ial $36.0 hi on re o veh , lan a cur f 11
Loader
estim hand millio cle in fir noccur icle ro d, n red o %
Forklift
ling n in fir d es i fire a c t on r oc
ated vehi direct es ir (9 n s d, o y ma e cu
din a a
Duri cles proper (9 e %) too p n nu s rre
were ty 1 c tha i k ar s r fac t d
avera dire damag t rwide plac t d
ng %) t ki tur r in
ctly e. No p e e. r s
th res n ing y sto
ge of invo deaths r c
variety u ,
2003 lved were at ult t g a pr , ra
o 4 c
in report res ed p or n op o ge
1,340 p 3 t
- ignit ed ult in rof s i d ert r pr
e %
ion from ed rt 12 o p o d ies m op
struct per these in (5 poccupa e n u . i ert
2006, y o
year. fires. 10 d 3 e ci m 1 n ies
c
ure Thes ci a %) r al s p 2 iOccup
U. S. c
and e
These vil m of tncies. pr i s % nancies
u
vehic fires ia a the y o t o we gwhere
caus fires dThe r r Indust
fire le n g civ p e re p
r rial
fires ed inj e ilia a er s l in r
Loade
an includ ( m e , a
depar in uri n graph ti uti or or
annu 6 a d i n
whic es inj es lity pForkli
al e 8 g n d
h (4 uri , , eft
tment aver % eshows i d f
indus 7 es, s agr rVehicl
age annual ) ( n u i
trial %) an u icu tie
s of a 3 s l
loade eFires
rs,
22 averag an
n
d 2the o
c
t l ltu
civil d $1 % h r s re, sOccur
respo forkli d u red:
ian es of $2 1.5 ).occupa as i . ba ;
fts, 1 t 2003-
fire 1 4. m o a 1 sic a
and 20 s 2006
nded injur ,2 5 iThese p l 5 ind n
relate str ncies i
ies, mi l e p % ust d
d 20 uc d
to an mater and lli l where n l ry,
ve tu oc
ifires these e

O o n l 43%0%
u a g p Manufacturi
agriculture
mining Residential
se u o ins cla nk pancy %10%
t d o r 15%20%
s , r o ng
, basic Storage
P properties
m c n titu ssif no 30%
2%
i s p 12%40%
d p p e processing
industry, Mercantile,
ub bly a al ion ied w 150
e a e r 11%
, r c t
Utility, forestry, or business
lic , t o al or oc %
k i y 5
r i a or office
as ed i r Un un cu 9%
%
A fie ca e was 27 ial o i ve f s ectr or n ere 2 ese
n d l mal a % load r f hi i . ical mal s fact 6 veh
un me fa fun fact of er k t cl r
cla ch il ctio or ind or fail fun ors %T icle
ssi ani ur n in ustr l e e El ures ctio w in . h s or
f
 the ca da the its sys c n S da n u n e pai p ler
rmanti
ir n m stru spri tem o t u m l , red e activa
nce on
loa als ag ctur nkl , or n s c ag r t f spri r , altions
ds o e e, er its t . h e e i i nkl f spr
uni
e ca s i r m er o ink
nte
.
Indu l er Forkl 1/09 NFPA Analy and rch, y,
stria Load and ifts, v Fire sis Resea Quinc MA