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Electric-Battery-Powered Industrial Trucks

UL 583

1 Scope

These requirements cover electric-battery-powered industrial trucks, such as tractors, platform-lift trucks, fork-lift trucks, and other vehicles designed for specific industrial uses, with respect to a risk of fire, electric shock, and explosion. These requirements do not cover such electric-battery-powered industrial trucks with respect to other possible risks that may be associated with the use of such trucks.

1.2 These requirements cover batteries intended for use in the electric-battery-powered industrial trucks mentioned in 1.1, with respect to the risk of fire, electric shock, and explosion.

1.3 The Fire Safety Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks Including Type Designations, Areas of Use, Conversions, Maintenance, and Operations, NFPA 505, identifies electric-battery-powered industrial trucks as follows:

a) Type E - An electrically powered unit that has minimum acceptable safeguards against inherent fire and electric shock hazards.

b) Type ES - An electrically powered unit that, in addition to meeting all requirements for Type E units, is provided with additional safeguards to the electric system to prevent the emission of hazardous sparks and to limit surface temperatures.

c) Type EE - An electrically powered unit that, in addition to meeting all requirements for Type E and ES units, has its electric motors and all other electric equipment completely enclosed.

d) Type EX - An electrically powered unit in which the electric fittings and equipment are so designed, constructed, and assembled that the unit can be used in atmospheres containing specifically named flammable vapors, dusts, and, under certain conditions, fibers.

1.4 These requirements cover Types E, EE, ES, and EX electric-battery-powered industrial trucks powered by batteries supplying 150 volts or less.