Health & Safety

By Gian Schiava

October 2025

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Coping with the big freeze: how do forklifts and humans survive in sub-zero temperatures?

A guide to efficiency and productivity in cold store warehousing.

Cold and frozen (‘cold store’) warehouses are among the toughest materials handling environments. Gian Schiava highlights the key challenges for people and machines – and sets out practical solutions.

(Executive Summary)

Essential to food, pharmaceutical and chemical supply chains, cold store warehouses require maximum productivity in low temperatures, often down to –30°C. But this comes at a price: the energy required to maintain these extreme conditions is enormous, and every additional opening of a freezer door or extra minute of idle time adds to the bill. Beyond energy, specialised equipment, high-density storage systems, protective clothing and higher maintenance costs all make cold store logistics significantly more expensive than ‘normal’ operations.

Because of these high operational costs, companies must exploit cold stores as efficiently as possible. Equipment must be reliable, downtime must be minimised, and staff must remain productive despite the harsh environment.

Forklifts in the freezer – tailored to the application

Forklifts, the backbone of cold store operations, face many specific challenges in this industry. While inside the cold store, it’s primarily the battery capacity (both charging and net capacity for consumption) that we need to keep an eye on. Low temperatures reduce battery efficiency in electric trucks. They may, in addition, slow down hydraulic fluids and put extra strain on components.

Then there’s the floor conditions, which can be very slippery when moving between cold store and ambient areas, while condensation can also be a tricky opponent. Condensation is a real threat, as moisture can freeze on sensors or electrical connections, leading to failures. Visibility is another issue, with windscreens fogging or frosting over quickly.

FRIGO for slider - credit Dexion

A cold and forbidding environment for both
humans and forklifts. Pictured here is a mobile
pallet rack in a freezer warehouse. Image: Dexion

Structural and mechanical adaptations

To withstand these stresses, cold store forklifts are built with specific design modifications. For example, a reach truck adapted for –35°C typically includes stainless steel axles, PVC-covered seating and armrests that resist cracking, and special hydraulic fluids developed for low temperatures. Additional grease nipples are added to reduce servicing time, while drive wheels such as Tractothan® 93° shore or Super Grip 94° shore provide optimum traction on icy or mixed surfaces. Rust protection is essential: unpainted surfaces, screw heads, motor and gearbox bolts, and mast fittings are often treated with protective coatings such as Tectyl.

Electrical and electronic protection

Electronics are also vulnerable in sub-zero operations. Moisture intrusion can freeze and damage connections, while rapid temperature changes cause condensation. To counter this, modern cold store trucks are equipped with sealed wiring harnesses, Cryotox-filled connectors, and heated controllers and displays. These measures reduce failures, extend component life, and ensure that critical systems like sensors and displays continue to function reliably even during long shifts inside the freezer.

NR16-25N3(H)(X)

The Cat reach truck cold store cabin provides
a high-comfort working environment for high
productivity and safety.

Battery handling

Battery efficiency can drop considerably in the cold, unless you take precautions such as deploying heat mats, fans and insulation. In cold store environments, one has to avoid trucks switching too much between different temperature areas. For example, when a cold truck moves into an ambient environment for more than a few minutes, condensation will build and may cause problems to electrical systems.

In fact, rather than driving a truck out of the freezer for charging, the battery is brought to the truck. If a truck must leave, it should remain outside long enough to dry completely before re-entry. The guiding principle is consistency – avoid allowing the truck temperature to swing above and below 0°C, which accelerates corrosion and shortens service life.

A luxury cabin is not a luxury

The operator’s cabin is not just a matter of comfort, but a technical adaptation in its own right. A poorly heated or poorly designed cab can compromise both safety and efficiency. High-quality cold store cabins, like those on the reach trucks made by Cat Lift Trucks, are equipped with:

  • Automatic climate control adjustable from 18 to 28 °C, with a rapid ‘HI’ boost for fast heating at shift start
  • Fourteen ventilation outlets to ensure even heat distribution
  • Stepless fresh air intake and recirculation controls to prevent misting and maintain oxygen levels
  • Large cabin windows and integrated mirrors for excellent visibility
  • Interior design without cold surfaces in operator contact areas, reducing fatigue and discomfort

With these features, drivers can work comfortably in normal clothing rather than bulky cold-weather gear, unless they have to get out of course. The cabin serves both as a productivity booster and a safety feature.

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Large windows and highly effective demisting
and defrosting ensure clear vision.

Keeping warehouse staff productive in sub-zero conditions

As mentioned before, forklifts don’t like to switch often between temperature zones. Humans, however, certainly prefer to go back to the warmth from time to time. When in the cold, operators need protective and insulated gear. Sometimes, thicker jackets, gloves, boots and caps needed for freezing temperatures can obstruct smooth truck operation. Movement is restricted, leading to more fatigue or stress.

Exposure management is therefore critical. Even with protective clothing, prolonged time in freezing air can lead to cold stress, hypothermia and other discomfort. Many organisations break shifts into shorter intervals, allowing workers to warm up regularly in heated rooms.

The Dutch cold storage association Nekovri provides clear guidance:

  • At –10ºC to –20ºC: maximum 2 hours’ work, followed by at least 30 minutes at room temperature
  • Below –20ºC: maximum 45 minutes’ work, then at least a 10-minute warm-up
  • No more than 4 hours per day at temperatures below –10ºC

Obviously, these are the regulations in the Netherlands; rules and standards can vary from country to country. Besides these measures, hot drinks, dry spare clothing and suitable protective gear are also mandatory. For the latter, logistics managers can ask clothing suppliers how their products adhere to the European EN 342:2017 standard, which defines the requirements and test methods for garments to protect the wearer from cold environments. The standard evaluates three performance criteria: thermal insulation (Icler), air permeability (AP) for wind resistance, and water penetration resistance (WP).

The above-mentioned time windows are there to protect health and sustain concentration, which drops rapidly in extreme cold. Some employers take their effort a step further with health monitoring programmes or wearable devices that track fatigue and exposure. Training also remains crucial: operators must be able to recognise cold-related illness, adapt their driving style to slippery floors, and manage the response of forklifts in sub-zero environments.

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Enclosed cabin comfort on a Cat 2.5 tonne electric counterbalance forklift.

Balancing equipment and people

For logistics managers, the challenge is clear: materials handling in cold store operations is costly and complex, but with the right balance of investment in equipment and people it can also be made both safe and efficient. In an industry where uninterrupted cold chains are essential, that balance is not a luxury – it’s a necessity.

Summary

This article addresses the difficult and costly challenges of materials handling in cold store environments. Its advice is aimed at lowering extreme energy demands, optimising the condition of equipment, including forklifts, and improving conditions for staff. It sets out essential approaches to maximising efficiency and protecting both mechanical and human assets. Key issues covered include:

·      How lift trucks can be modified to cope

·      What practices will minimise impacts on equipment

·      Why a ‘luxury’ cabin isn’t a luxury – and what it should offer

·      What measures should be taken to maintain staff welfare and productivity

Article feedback is welcome: editor@eurekapub.eu

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