A battery room is a room designated for charging batteries or housing batteries used for power backup.
The battery room safety guide below will help keep the room in a safe condition. We prioritize the safety of the personnel handling the batteries to reduce the dangers associated with working in the battery room.
Battery Room Safety Guidelines.
- The battery room should always be clean and free from dust particles. When the top of the battery has dust particles, the chances of corrosion are increased, and these particles can also lead to a battery short-circuit. The battery can be cleaned using a piece of cloth. You also need to ensure that any salts at the vent caps are removed. The covers and caps of the battery should remain closed so that any dirt and particles do not fall inside the cells.
- The process of cleaning the batteries in itself needs skilled personnel so let only skilled personnel work in the battery room and do the cleaning. Dangers like electric shock which can lead to death are associated with battery cleaning it is because of such reasons that a skilled person is preferred to handle the batteries.
- The room needs to have a waste bin which should be emptied regularly so that it does not overflow.
- For proper waste handling, ensure that you have different bins marked for different types of waste. Do not mix all the waste in one waste bin.
- Any conductive material or equipment can cause a short circuit if it gets connected to the battery terminals. To avoid such incidents, it is recommended that all equipment and any other spare parts be stored in a designated area inside the room.
- Before storing the equipment, have them cleaned and well-dried. This will ensure the equipment stays in good condition for a long and also chances of corrosion will be reduced.
- The sitting area or benches in case there is any, should be clean and free from dirt.
- In the room in case there is any equipment which are calibrated, they should be labelled well and each of them should have instructions on how they are used tagged on them.
- All manuals and catalogs should be stored well. Most of them are in paper form and paper gets damaged when it comes into contact with battery acid.
- You need to have protective gear as you enter the room. Your hair needs to be covered and an overall or apron should be put on to cover the clothing. Avoid having any jewelry on because it can lead to a short circuit as you work on the batteries.
- The fire and emergency doors should always be accessible. Never should you block the exit.
- While handling different tasks in the room, have the appropriate gear on.
- The room needs to be equipped with a fire extinguisher which should be easily accessible at any given time.
- The fire fighting equipment should be inspected regularly. It is advisable to have it done after every 6 months.
- The battery floor should always be clean and not slippery. In case there are spillages have them cleaned immediately
- Any person who enters the room needs to be aware of the dangers associated with the battery room. It is advisable to have the danger and warning tags in place and they should be easily visible.
- The battery room needs to be equipped with the right equipment that it needs. There should be suitable battery lifting points and the lifting equipment should be proper as well. When designing the room, take into account the battery weight so that you design a standard platform.
- Always lift the batteries in the right position. This will ensure that there are no cases of electrolyte spillage.
Conclusion.
For the operation of a backup system, a battery room is very vital. When the safety measures are observed well, accidents and injuries that are associated with handling the batteries or charging the batteries will be reduced.
Keep in mind that this is just a guide it is not the final checklist.