For indoor and noise-sensitive sites, an electric forklift is the quietest choice, because it is close to silent when it stops and has no engine idling between loads. Hangcha's A Series stand-up 3-wheel electric forklift, for example, is rated at 63 dB(A) at the driver's ear. Safe Work Australia's exposure limit is 85 decibels averaged over eight hours, counting all the noise a worker hears in the shift. The rating is only a starting point. The hydraulic pump, the mast, the tyres on your floor and the reversing alarm decide how loud the truck is in your own building.
How much forklift noise is too much at work?
Forklift noise is too much when it helps push a worker's exposure over the Australian legal limit. According to Safe Work Australia, workers must not be exposed above 85 decibels averaged over eight hours, or above 140 decibels at any moment. The limit works on a trade-off between level and time: 91 decibels for two hours carries the same risk as 85 decibels for eight.
A simple check is the one metre rule. If you need to raise your voice to talk to someone one metre away, the noise level is probably too high. The table sets the published Hangcha figures at the driver's ear beside Safe Work Australia's limits and suggested levels.
| Level | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Below 50 decibels | Suggested for work that needs high concentration or a lot of conversation | Safe Work Australia |
| 63 dB(A) | Sound at the driver's ear on the A Series stand-up 3-wheel electric forklift | Hangcha brochure |
| Below 70 decibels | Suggested for routine, fast-paced work where people still need to talk | Safe Work Australia |
| Under 75 dB(A) | Upper limit at the driver's ear on the A Series reach truck 1.5-1.8 t | Hangcha brochure |
| 85 decibels over 8 hours | Legal exposure limit, the same risk as 91 decibels for 2 hours | Safe Work Australia |
| 140 decibels | Legal limit for a peak at any moment | Safe Work Australia |
A forklift is usually only one source of noise on a site. What counts is the total noise each worker is exposed to across the shift, and the business running the site is responsible for assessing it.
How noisy are electric, LPG and diesel forklifts?
An engine forklift makes noise whenever the engine runs, including while it waits for the next pallet. An electric forklift makes almost no sound at a standstill, and most of its noise comes from lifting and driving.
Some brochures for the Hangcha forklifts DJJ Equipment sells print the sound level at the driver's ear. The A Series stand-up 3-wheel forklift is rated at 63 dB(A) on all four models and has a low-noise gear pump as standard. The A Series reach truck 1.5-1.8 t is rated at under 75 dB(A), an upper limit rather than an exact reading.
Not every brochure prints a figure. The Hangcha brochures for the XA Series 2-3.8 t and XE Series 6-10 t electric forklifts don't, and the XF2 Series diesel and LPG brochures describe noise control features instead of a number. If the figure matters for your site, ask for it in writing for the exact model and power option you are quoted.
For enclosed buildings, noise is only part of the case against engine trucks. Exhaust matters more, which is why running a diesel forklift indoors is rarely a good idea where people work all day.
What a forklift's dB(A) figure really tells you
A forklift's dB(A) figure is the sound level at the operator's ear. It's useful for comparing machines rated the same way, but it is one input to a worker's 85 decibel shift average, not a measure of it.
A single figure also hides how the sound changes through the work. An electric forklift is quietest at a standstill and loudest while the pump lifts a heavy pallet to the top beam, so if your trucks lift most of the day, ask whether the supplier can give a figure for lifting on its own.
The figure is also measured at the operator's seat, not where your other workers stand. A cab can lower the level for the driver without changing what people nearby hear. A warehouse with concrete floors, block walls and a metal roof also reflects sound back, so the same truck sounds louder indoors than in the open.
Where the noise comes from on an electric forklift
With no engine, the hydraulic system is usually the loudest part of an electric forklift. A gear pump can whine as it lifts, and the sound changes with load and lift speed, which is why some trucks are built with a quieter pump. Other sources include:
- the mast changing stages as it extends, and the carriage settling at the bottom when it lowers
- tyres crossing floor joints, dock plates and ramps
- cooling fans on motors and controllers
- the horn and reversing alarm
The best comparison is a test drive in your own building. A short routine shows most of it:
- Lift a typical load to your highest beam and listen to the pump and the mast stages.
- Lower it and listen for knocks as the mast and carriage come down.
- Drive over your floor joints, dock plates and any ramps, loaded and empty.
- Reverse through a busy aisle and listen to the alarm from where your workers stand.
Forklift reversing alarms and warning lights for quiet and night sites
On a quiet electric forklift, the reversing alarm is often the loudest thing on the truck. A traditional beeping alarm echoes off walls and racking indoors, so people nearby can hear it but struggle to tell which aisle it is coming from, and it carries well beyond the area where the truck is working.
Broadband alarms, which make a rushing sound across many frequencies, are easier to locate and fade faster outside the danger zone. Warning lights that project a spot or line onto the floor, and rotating beacons, add a warning that doesn't depend on hearing at all.
Don't remove or switch off a reversing alarm to make a site quieter. SafeWork NSW lists the reversing beeper among the items to check at the start of each day. Any change to warning devices needs to keep pedestrians at least as safe as before, so check it against your site's risk assessment and traffic management plan first.
The same choices matter most at night, when background noise drops, and at loading docks near homes, hospitals and shopping strips. There, an electric forklift with a broadband alarm helps most: the truck has no engine to idle, and the alarm fades faster beyond the work area. Check any noise conditions in your site's development approval before planning overnight loading.
Keeping a quiet forklift quiet
A forklift that was quiet when new can get louder as parts wear. Low or contaminated hydraulic oil, a worn pump (even a low-noise one like the A Series stand-up's), dry or worn mast rollers and chains, flat-spotted tyres and loose panels all add noise.
A new noise is often the first sign that something needs attention, so report it rather than turning the radio up. Catching wear early stops a small noise turning into a bigger repair, and regular forklift servicing checks the hydraulics, mast, chains and tyres where that noise usually starts.
Tell the DJJ team where the forklift will work, the hours it runs and who works or lives nearby, and ask for the noise figure for the model you are considering. Call 1800 355 388 or send an enquiry, and our Sydney, Brisbane or Perth branch will help you compare models.
