Cautions and Safety
Batteries can be considered a hazardous material as they contain: explosive gases, sulfuric acid, lead and
large amounts of potential electrical energy. Care needs to be taken to provide personal safety in handling,
storing, installing and disposing of lead acid batteries. Only trained personnel should be near batteries.
The following personal equipment is recommended for use while installing and conducting maintenance
on batteries:
• Eyeprotectionfromeitherafaceshieldorgoggles.
• Acid-resistantgloves,safetyshoesandapronorclothingprotection.
• Liftingdevicetolocateandplacebatteriesinproperorientation.
Recommended battery room safety equipment is recommended and in many cases may be required by the
local fire marshal or building inspectors:
• Eyewashstationandshower.
• Electrolyteneutralizingandabsorbingagent.
• Insulatedtools.
These are available from C&D Technologies Manufacturers’ Representatives.
Additionally, the battery room should contain a Class C fire extinguisher.
Battery Room Requirements
When designing a battery system of multiple batteries, the following design considerations must be made to
ensure safe operation. Adequate ventilation must be provided to limit the concentration of Hydrogen and thus
prevent hydrogen explosions. Safe and well-lit access to the batteries is critical for workers safety while
performing the installation and required maintenance.
Ventilation
Lead Acid batteries produce hydrogen gas during normal operation and hydrogen gas is explosive at 2% of
room/enclosure volume. Measurements must be taken to ensure that the maximum concentration of hydrogen
in the battery room or battery enclosure stays below the explosive concentration. Do not install batteries in
unventilated areas or enclosures. Passive measures are not dependent on active measures that depend on
components that can fail.
The following is the Hydrogen Evolution Equation used to calculate the maximum rate that the battery under
adverse conditions will generate hydrogen gas.
Hydrogen can be evolved at the rate of (0.00269 cubic feet per minute) per charging Ampere per cell a
77°F (25°C).
Access to the Battery
Critical to safety and proper battery maintenance is the safe and easy access to the batteries for maintenance
and battery inspections. Adequate lighting must be provided. A minimum of 36 in (914 mm) should be provided
in front of the batteries for aisle access. Failure to provide easy access and a safe workplace will result in
inadequate maintenance.
An example: a 48 volt system with a maximum charging current of 200 amps may generate up to
1.2912 cubic feet of hydrogen per minute=(24 cells) x (200 amperes) x (0.000269)
RS02061/0514/CD 5 www.cdtechno.com
(8 pages)
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