4.8 Battery
Consult the battery manufacturer’s instructions regarding battery care and maintenance.
WARNING
Sulfuric acid in batteries.
Can cause severe injury or death.
Wear protective goggles and clothing. Battery acid may cause blindness and burn skin.
Battery electrolyte is a diluted sulfuric acid. Battery acid can cause severe injury or death. Battery acid can cause blindness and burn skin. Always wear splashproof safety goggles, rubber gloves, and boots when servicing the battery. Do not open a sealed battery or mutilate the battery case. If battery acid splashes in the eyes or on the skin, immediately flush the affected area for 15 minutes with large quantities of clean water. Seek immediate medical aid in the case of eye contact. Never add acid to a battery after placing the battery in service, as this may result in hazardous spattering of battery acid.
Battery acid cleanup. Battery acid can cause severe injury or death. Battery acid is electrically conductive and corrosive. Add 500 g (1 lb.) of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to a container with 4 L (1 gal.) of water and mix the neutralizing solution. Pour the neutralizing solution on the spilled battery acid and continue to add the neutralizing solution to the spilled battery acid until all evidence of a chemical reaction (foaming) has ceased. Flush the resulting liquid with water and dry the area.
Battery gases. Explosion can cause severe injury or death. Battery gases can cause an explosion. Do not smoke or permit flames or sparks to occur near a battery at any time, particularly when it is charging. Do not dispose of a battery in a fire. To prevent burns and sparks that could cause an explosion, avoid touching the battery terminals with tools or other metal objects. Remove all jewelry before servicing the equipment. Discharge static electricity from your body before touching batteries by first touching a grounded metal surface away from the battery. To avoid sparks, do not disturb the battery charger connections while the battery is charging. Always turn the battery charger off before disconnecting the battery connections. Ventilate the compartments containing batteries to prevent accumulation of explosive gases.
Battery short circuits. Explosion can cause severe injury or death. Short circuits can cause bodily injury and/or equipment damage. Disconnect the battery before generator set installation or maintenance. Remove all jewelry before servicing the equipment. Use tools with insulated handles. Remove the negative
Section 4 Scheduled Maintenance 59 |
