Lead Acid Battery Safety

With no moving parts, your car battery just sits there looking harmless, but we know better.
According to the University of Wisconsin article on battery safety, 2,300 people are injured nationally each year using lead acid batteries, most of these are acid burns to the eyes and face. Honestly, when I read this statistic, my first reaction was actually "Wow, that's seems low." I mean with the inherent dangers of lead acid batteries and the amount of vehicles and machinery that require regular battery maintenance I just figured it was going to be higher. So I looked up things that seem inherently more dangerous like power saws, ladders and nail guns. Here's the stats:

1. Table Saws - 60,000 injuries annually
2. Nail Guns - 42,000 injuries annually
3. Chain Saws - 32,000 injuries annually
4. Ladders - 140,000 injuries annually

After seeing how many injuries result from the use of those common household tools I came to a conclusion. Maybe its not that those tools are more dangerous but that those of us in the battery industry are more aware of the dangers of lead acid batteries and are passing down this tribal knowledge to our co-workers, service personnel, even our family members. I still hear my dad's voice saying "Make sure the clamps are connected right!" last time we gave a car a jumpstart. There's a reason for all the caution around lead acid batteries: The type of injury a person can sustain while working with a lead acid battery can be life changing, from blindness to disfigurement, even death so I try to take as many precautions as possible around a battery.  I always make it point to keep a pair of nitrile gloves and goggles in the glove compartment, just in case the battery decides to die while parked at Pick 'N Save.  Those are the basics though. UW-Wisconsin put out a great article on general battery safety that is much more comprehensive. Quick Cable takes this pretty serious as well so we produced a very comprehensive video outlining many of the best practices when working with lead acid batteries. As the old cliche goes, one injury is one too many. Stay safe friends!

Richard Sosa
Video Producer/Web Contributor
Quick Cable Corporation

Sources:
http://www.uwsa.edu/oslp/em/compliance/battery_leadacid.htm
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/reviews/power-tools/4286772
http://quickhowto.com