Battery Handling Safety Tips and Precautions

Various safety measures should be followed when handling a battery since batteries contain chemicals and produce electric charge. If you do not use the battery properly, serious injuries can occur. Do observe the battery safety recommendations and precautions to prevent these serious injuries.

Wear protective gear

Batteries contain sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive chemical that can produce explosive hydrogen gas even while the battery is not being used. It’s always a good idea to keep an extra pair of safety glasses and nitrile or rubber gloves in the glove box or somewhere else in your car. If you are required to check on the vehicle’s battery or components, you will always be prepared.

Keep away from sparks and flames

Smoking, flames, and sparks might cause the battery to explode, which could be extremely dangerous. Ensure adequate ventilation when handling the battery as it emits hydrogen gas which can cause an explosion if any spark or flame is present. Before disconnecting the battery from the charger, switch off the charger as live electricity can spark and become a source of ignition.

Avoid contact with skin or clothes

When drops of acid come into contact with your eyes, skin or clothes, rinse it for several minutes using clean water. Especially for contact with the eyes or if the acid is ingested, consult your doctor immediately.

Disposal of old batteries

You need to take special care to properly dispose of old batteries since lead acid is dangerous to us and it is also hazardous to the environment. Never dispose of old batteries in household waste! The lead in the old batteries can be smelted and reused in new batteries. The poly can be recycled and used in new plastic products. Also lastly, the acid in the old battery can be cleaned and used to make fertilizer and detergent. Therefore majority of the battery can be recycled and not go to waste.

Conclusion

Working with car batteries has some risks, but the precautions mentioned above can minimise accidents. With the battery’s content mentioned above, batteries must be kept away from children. The above points should also apply when there is an issue with the battery and during periodic maintenance. As for recycling the batteries, car workshops or scrap metal dealers should accept used batteries. Please provide your feedback or comment below on any other pointers that will be useful when handling batteries.