PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-698
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 698
JANUARY 2011
41
PS 698
JAN 11
•
Never use batteries if there is liquid
in the plastic storage wrap, or if they’ve
bulged or burst.
•
Never attempt to charge a primary
battery.
•
If you suspect bad batteries, try
substituting good ones. If defective
batteries are found, report these through
normal channels.
•
When you aren’t planning to use your
equipment for 30 days or longer, take out
the batteries to prevent battery corrosion
damage.
•
Keep batteries in their original
packaging until you’re ready to use them.
•
During operation, if the battery
compartment is hot to the touch, hisses,
makes a burping sound, or if you smell
sulfur, turn off the equipment and let it
cool for at least an hour. Keep everyone
away from the area.
•
Never short-circuit, crush, puncture or
incinerate batteries.
•
Never use batteries that are swollen,
or that won’t fit easily into the battery
compartment.
•
If there is more than one prime power
lithium battery in the equipment, and
you find a bad one, replace all of them.
It could be that the bad one has led to
increased drain on the others or sped
up the corrosion process. Use batteries
from the same manufacturer and with
the same date code, if possible. Mixing
batteries can lead to violent venting.
•
Never use a fire extinguisher on
a lithium battery fire. In the event
of a lithium fire, evacuate the area
immediately and call for trained
firefighters and the hazmat team.
•
Never store batteries near heat, flame or other hazardous materials.
•
Never smoke or use an open flame in a battery storage area.
•
If the battery has a complete discharge device (CDD), have the person designated to
discharge the battery before turn-in or disposal do his stuff.
•
Have personal protection equipment on hand and use it when handling batteries that
are leaking, bulging, swelling or deformed. Never handle hot batteries. NSN 4240-00-
542-2048 will get you a face shield. Get a full body apron with NSN 8415-00-082-6108.
Discharging
If you’re the designated battery discharge person and it’s your job to activate CDDs,
here’s what you need to do:
•
Discharge the batteries in a secure,
well-ventilated
area,
away
from
people and hazardous material.
•
Set discharging batteries at least
two inches apart on all sides.
•
Let the batteries sit a minimum of
seven days for complete discharge as
per label on the battery.
Remember that discharging batteries may
be hot. The heat could even deform the battery
case. That’s normal. But, if you hear a hissing
sound or smell a strong, pungent odor, clear the
area immediately until the odor has gone and
the hissing has stopped. This is a battery venting
and you must dispose of vented batteries as
hazardous waste.
At the end of a normal, complete discharge
cycle, the amount of lithium remaining in the
battery will be small enough to let you dispose
of the battery as non-hazardous waste. Even so,
some places may require special procedures.
Handling
Lithium
Batteries
Commo Nonrechargeable…
Handling
Lithium
Batteries
O
nce you get lithium sulfur dioxide nonrechargeable batteries on your shelf and in
use, you need to handle them in a very specific way, because they contain pressurized,
poisonous sulfur dioxide gas.
These batteries must not be abused in any way that would rupture them!
Here’s how to handle them properly:
Check with your local
environmental office for
any federal, state and
local requirements on
battery disposal.
different
manufacturers,
different date
codes.
I think you’re
taking the whole
idea of a well
ventilated area
away from
people way toO
seriously!
oh,
yeah…
they’re
violently
venting!
I SmeLl
SulFUr!
He’s got
a lot
of
gas!
stop!
I
know you’re
not well but
acupuncture is
not the way!
whoa!
what
happened
to you?!
corrosion!
they
forgot me for
over 30 days inside
of that equipment!
698.40-41.indd
1-2
12/6/10
12:01 PM
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