Highly accurate open-circuit voltage readings are taken to determine the condition of cells or
batteries.
As you work around batteries and battery compartments, you will be handling acid and
alkaline solutions. You will also be exposed to gaseous fumes. For these reasons, you must
be extremely cautious and observe many safety precautions.
There are several safety precautions to be observed when handling batteries. You should be
extremely careful to KEEP OPEN FLAMES and SPARKS AWAY from batteries. This means
absolutely NO SMOKING. You should make NO REPAIRS, CONNECTIONS, or
DISCONNECTIONS to a battery while it is BEING CHARGED. When mixing electrolyte,
ALWAYS POUR ACID VERY SLOWLY INTO the WATER. Never pour water into acid, as the
rapid generation of heat that results will cause the electrolyte to splatter. You must remember
that electrolyte contains acids or alkalines which will burn your skin and destroy your
clothing. You should remember that the gases produced by the chemical actions of a battery
are very explosive. For this reason, you should NEVER OPEN BATTERIES EXCEPT IN WELL-
VENTILATED SPACES. If possible, the TEMPERATURE of battery compartments and storage
rooms SHOULD BE BELOW 95 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT as well as being WELL VENTILATED. If
TOOLS are required to remove or replace batteries, they should have INSULATED HANDLES.
You should NEVER DISCONNECT a BATTERY that is SUPPLYING POWER to a circuit; also,
NEVER CONNECT a BATTERY to a CLOSED CIRCUIT.
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IT0335
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