Battery Safety!!!

[WOLFMAN AK907]

I cannot impress upon you how important it is to check your batteries for defects, damages or bloating and perform the proper procedure when charging or jump starting something. I myself have learned a lesson this week. I was charging the battery on my big CLARK forklift 60K max lift at work the other day, went to adjust the cables for a better connection and the thing exploded on me. We're not talking like a car battery, this was a big 24"x 18" Industrial Equipment Battery. Still 12V system. I was leaning right over it in the battery compartment when it exploded. Luckily I had all my PPE on like safety glasses and such, but I got a pretty bad acid bath and I have some hearing loss that my doctor says should go away in a few days hopefully. No cuts or shrap-plastic, which is surprising considering it plain out blew the top and 1 side completely off into several pieces. Upon later inspection saw that something internally in the battery was defected causing the battery acid to boil under charge and emit gas, so when I adjusted the cables it sparked and poof! I was really lucky...really lucky. So please, please, be careful with this kind of stuff. Also check the dates on your batteries as well. I never took it seriously, but that was the loudest thing I've ever heard and shook me up quite a bit.

[ontarian_frog]

Glad you're ok... This could've turned out much worst! Goot thing you were wearing some safety gear.

[Petrified.Rabbit]

glad your ok, ive learn from experience to never adjust cables while the charger is on..

Ive blown up my share of batteries..

[exist3nce]

Wow thats pretty scary.....

I worked at Home Depot a while ago, and one of their electric fork trucks got itself wedged under a shelf and the battery shorted on the metal beams. The whole battery melted and the store filled with smoke, they had to evacuate and call the fire dept.

Glad you are ok...

[WOLFMAN AK907]

Thanks guys, yeah it was a lesson learned. Mistake on my part, but other variables which were beyond my control as well. I couldn't have possibly known the battery was damaged internally. I was lucky.

[Nemasys]

Yeah man, wow, really glad your safe!

Makes me warry about the electric lifts and pallet transporters at my work.

[g30360]

scary stuff, but good safety habits paid off eh?

[WOLFMAN AK907]

Yeah, I guess they did. Should've been safer, but I made an example of myself to raise awareness throughout the company I work for so hopefully someone doesn't make the same mistake or worse.

[thehunterooo]

good to hear you are in one piece still