County to recognize battery day, provides safety tips

February 18 is Battery Day! A day to pay homage to an everyday item that humans often take for granted.

If batteries were human, they would probably feel unappreciated and even neglected based on careless ways they can be treated.

However, batteries should be respected every day. Batteries power so many different devices and provide convenience and freedom that are unmatched by an electrical cord. To appreciate batteries, imagine what your life would be like without them.

Batteries are used in countless commonplace items — mobile phones, flashlights, laptop computers, radios, tablets, watches, e-cigarettes, smoke detectors, handheld game devices, television remotes, toys, automotive vehicles, robo vacuum cleaners, garden tools, hoverboards, and more. Many of these items, which are powered by batteries, we would not want to live without.

Batteries are so commonplace and versatile that it is easy to be lulled into complacency when using or handling them. However, if these ubiquitous power packs are handled, stored or disposed of improperly, they can be dangerous to humans and harmful to the environment.

More and more, improperly disposed batteries are the cause of fires and explosions at recycling facilities, landfills, and waste incinerators. According to a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report, the number of accidents involving batteries is increasing every year. For example, over 25,000 fire incidents involving about 400 different lithium battery powered consumer products occurred in the five-year period between 2013 and 2018. However, in the last three years, more than 31,000 fires of the same type occurred.

All types of batteries can be dangerous if not handled, stored, and transported properly. Incredibly, 9-volt batteries have been linked to home fires. News 5 Cleveland provides the story of two home fires caused by 9-volt batteries that were improperly stored.

Tips for Battery Care and Storage:

• Never touch or allow anything else to touch both terminals at the same time.
• Never store batteries loose, piled, or bagged in such a way that posts can touch.
• Store batteries out of reach of children.
• Small batteries should be stored in original packaging whenever possible.
• 9-volt batteries should be stored standing up if possible.
• Do not store batteries in “junk drawers” or boxes of assorted items.
• Never allow batteries to contact metal – don’t’ store them around paper clips, binder clips, coins, silverware, screwdrivers, etc.
• Don’t store different types of batteries together.
• Never burn or expose batteries to flames.
• Be aware that all batteries will eventually leak. Watch for corrosion. Avoid touching corroded batteries with bare hands.
• Even weak or dead batteries will retain enough charge to cause fires or shock, so careful.
• Never allow batteries to contact water.
• Never take apart a battery.
• Only recharge batteries that are designed to be recharged.
• Any tool used around batteries should be non-conductive.
• Never smoke around batteries.
• Recycle used batteries properly.