Battery Installation and Maintenance Safety Procedures

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1) Only authorized and trained personnel familiar with  standby battery installation, preparation, charging and maintenance are  permitted access to the battery. 

2) Storage batteries present both electrical and  chemical hazards to those who install or service them. It is essential  you exercise extreme care at all times to assure a safe working  environment. 

3) Manufacturers published instructions must be followed when installing, charging, and servicing batteries. 

4) Observe local, state, and national electrical codes. 

5) All batteries present a shock hazard. Do not  touch un-insulated battery connections or terminals. Be sure to  discharge static electricity from tools and technician by touching a  grounded surface in the vicinity of the batteries, but away from the  cells and flame arrestors. 

6) Gas produced by batteries can be explosive.  Protect eyes when around batteries. Provide adequate ventilation so  hydrogen gas accumulation does not exceed 2% by volume. Do not smoke,  use open flame or create spark near batteries at any time. 

7) Always use protective insulating equipment,  such as gloves, shoes and eye protectors. Wrenches and other tools must  be insulated. 

8) Always work with the battery ungrounded. Battery ground connections, if required, should be made last. 

9) To avoid working with high voltages, break the  battery down into convenient, lower-voltage modules, i.e. do not  interconnect rows or tiers of cells until the final step in connection. 

10) Lead-acid cells contain diluted sulfuric  acid. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing. Should contact occur,  remove contaminated clothing immediately and flush affected body areas  immediately and thoroughly with water. Wash clothing before re-use. Do  not attempt to clean and re-use contaminated shoes. If acid should  contact the eye, flush immediately with large amounts of water for at  least 15 minutes. Contact a physician in cases of acid contact with  eyes. 

11) Use proper lifting techniques when working with large batteries, i.e. two persons or properly rated lifting equipment. 

12) Never lift batteries by the terminals. 

13) Do not allow tools or unconnected cables to rest on top of batteries. 

14) Allow unconnected cables must be insulated in  a manner that will prohibit possible grounding (insulated cover or tape  or both) 

15) Never use power tools that can develop more torque than specified for connections. 

16) Do not use chemical cleaners on batteries. They may cause irreversible damage. 

17) Do not remove vent caps or add anything to sealed maintenance free batteries. 

18) Do not approach any energized battery system  which shows signs of severe overcharging or over-discharging (severe  swelling, cover deformation, vent caps popping off) Disconnect and  isolate the battery system from all charging and discharge circuitry  before approaching they system. 

19) Do not circumvent any device installed by a  manufacturer for the purpose of protecting the battery system. These  devices include: fuses, circuit breakers, disconnects, and switches,  etc. 

20) Work performed on a battery while still in  service shall use methods to preclude arching in the vicinity of the  battery. All possible areas of shortening and/or grounding are to be  insulated in a manner that will prevent short circuits. 

The following procedures shall be observed during maintenance and installation of battery systems. 

INSPECTIONS: 

1) Use caution when working on batteries since they present a shock hazard. 

2) Prohibit smoking and open flames, and avoid the chances of arching in the immediate vicinity of the battery. 

3) Ensure that the test equipment leads are  clean, in good condition, and connected with sufficient length to  prevent accidental arching in the vicinity of the battery and/or  accidental electrocution. 

4) Ensure that all connections to load test equipment include short circuit protection. 

5) Ensure that battery area and/or cabinet is properly ventilated. Never install batteries in an airtight enclosure. 

6) Ensure unobstructed egress from battery room. 

7) Avoid the wearing of metallic objects such as jewelry. 

8) Neutralize static build-up just before working  on the battery by having personnel contact the nearest effectively  grounded surface. 

9) Ensure that all monitoring systems are operable. 

10) Never remove vents from sealed batteries. 

11) Protective equipment that should always be available to personnel performing inspections: 

· Goggles and Face Shields 

· Acid- resistant gloves 

· Protective aprons 

· Portable or stationary water facilities for rinsing eyes and skin in case of contact with electrolyte 

· Class C fire extinguisher 

· Bicarbonate of soda, mixed 0.1 kg to 1L (1 lb to 1 gal) of water, to neutralizing and containment systems. 

· Adequately insulated tools. Some battery  manufacturers do not recommend the use of CO2 class C fire extinguishers  due to the potential of thermal shock.