Lead-acid battery cabinet requirements

What are the safety requirements related to batteries & Battery rooms?

Employers must consider exposure to these hazards when developing safe work practices and selecting personal protective equipment (PPE). That is where Article 320, Safety Requirements Related to Batteries and Battery Rooms comes in.

What are the requirements for a lead-acid battery ventilation system?

The ventilation system must prevent the accumulation of hydrogen pockets greater than 1% concentration. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be provided with a dedicated ventilation system that exhausts outdoors and prevents circulation of air in other parts of the building.

Do flooded lead-acid batteries need ventilation?

Flooded lead-acid batteries must be provided with a dedicated ventilation system that exhausts outdoors and prevents circulation of air in other parts of the building. VRLA batteries require comparatively lower ventilation, usually enough to remove heat and gases that might be generated.

What are the different types of lead acid batteries?

There are two types of lead acid batteries: vented (known as “flooded” or “wet cells”) and valve regulated batteries (VRLA, known as “sealed”). The vented cell batteries release hydrogen continuously during charging while the VRLA batteries release hydrogen only when overheated and/or overcharged.

Are valve-regulated lead-acid batteries safe?

While certain designs, such as valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, dramatically reduce the amount of hydrogen released into the environment (as compared with traditional wet/flooded cell batteries) during normal charging and discharge cycles, there are still code requirements to address this potential hydrogen hazard.

How much weight can a lead-acid battery carry on a floor?

Due to the weight of lead-acid batteries, column and floor loading can quickly become a problem. Flooded wet cell batteries racked two or three tiers high in a limited floor area can easily impress a 250 to 450 lbs/sq-ft floor loading on the structural floor which will transfer to column and footers.