Exploring the Safety Concerns of Industrial Battery Use

People who work with or on industrial batteries face unique hazards every day. Here are the most critical safety concerns and practices for dealing with them and protecting workers.

1. Hazardous Dusts

Chemical fumes and powder get into the air during manufacturing. Usually, workers wear personal protection equipment (PPE) like masks and goggles to keep from breathing or ingesting hazardous materials.

However, it’s not uncommon for people to skip wearing their PPE. Exposure to lead dust is the biggest health hazard and the top source of work-related lead absorption. Unfortunately, it can quickly cause severe organ, nerve, and blood vessel damage.

Workers should always use their PPE when near hazardous chemicals to protect themselves. On top of wearing masks, they need goggles and gloves to minimize indirect contact. Could you imagine avoiding breathing in lead dust all day only to rub your eyes with a contaminated hand after work?

2. Sudden Explosions

Have you seen those videos of smartphone batteries randomly blowing up? They generate heat when they charge or discharge, and overheating can lead to an explosion. Usually, electrical abuse — overcharging, rapid charging, or short-circuiting — is the cause.

Also, many batteries produce flammable byproducts. Any spark or heat source could set off an explosion if too much fills an enclosed space. To make matters worse, commonly used gases like hydrogen are colorless, odorless, and tasteless — undetectable by human senses.

Safety practices include following charging protocol, ventilating rooms, and using hydrogen detection systems. You can avoid most explosions if you prevent overheating and monitor the level of flammable gases.

However, you’re still at risk even if you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations. Since faulty cells can cause sudden explosions, there’s always a chance one will happen. This possibility is one of the reasons inspections are a standard safety practice. Routinely checking for flaws can protect you from random battery detonation.

3. Corrosive Materials

Many industrial batteries contain corrosive materials. For example, the flooded lead-acid variety can leak sulfuric acid, a chemical that burns through the skin. This type needs to be topped up with distilled water, meaning workers come into close contact with it regularly.

Refilling it before or during charging could cause the acid mixture to boil over.

Corrosive materials can also escape because of mechanical abuse. In other words, physical mishandling — dropping, denting, or otherwise damaging an industrial battery — can cause it to leak. In these cases, the person who breaks it should immediately report the issue to prevent others from getting injured.

You must wear proper PPE whenever you’re close to a corrosive material. In the case of a flooded lead-acid battery, you’d need gloves, goggles, boots, and an apron. However, these are just precautionary measures. Prevent highly toxic liquid from leaking by following the manufacturer’s charging and handling recommendations.

Eye-washing stations and safety showers should be nearby if someone comes into contact with a corrosive or toxic liquid. Considering the damage acid can do, it’s also best to have special first-aid equipment.

4. Fast-Growing Fires

Overcharging or improper charging can cause thermal runaway — an uncontrollable temperature increase. Since intense heat damages batteries, they’re at risk of suddenly bursting into flames.

Battery fires grow quickly and are challenging to put out, so most safety practices are preventive.

There are still safety practices left to follow when the fire’s out. If you don’t address the root cause of thermal runaway, there’s a chance the industrial battery will reignite. Disconnecting it from its power source and quarantining it can prevent it from bursting into flames again. At the very least, it’ll keep the fire from spreading.

5. Electrocution and Shock

Electrocution is a significant safety concern for people working on or near industrial batteries. Although it isn’t as standard — or deadly — as explosions, acid leaks, and toxic gases, there are still safety standards workers must follow.

For one, they should keep metal away during charging, which includes jewelry. Additionally, they shouldn’t touch the positive and negative terminals simultaneously.

The possibility of electrocution increases substantially during a fire. Stranded energy — the unknown amount of power left over — means workers can’t safely discharge the battery without posing a shock hazard. While it’s a serious risk, there are no standard safety practices for it.

For now, first responders take the lead, and everyone else stays a reasonable distance away.

6. Highly Toxic Gases

Batteries often produce highly toxic gases during charging and discharging. For example, lead-acid varieties can produce arsenic hydride — which is colorless and flammable — while connected to power sources. This particular chemical is extremely dangerous. Militaries have even used it as a weapon because it causes symptoms similar to poisoning.

Other common toxic gases include hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. They can be harmful or deadly in high concentrations. Usually, they remain at very low levels unless there’s a leak. The best safety practices include using gas detection systems, following the manufacturer’s charging recommendations, and routinely inspecting the battery.

Address Safety Concerns With Standard Practices

No one wants to deal with acid leaks and explosions at work. Anyone working with or on industrial batteries must keep safety practices in mind to protect themselves and their colleagues.