The Nature of Battery Hazards and Accidents

Batteries are self-contained chemical reactors capable of transforming chemical energy into electrical energy on demand. The chemicals used in batteries are corrosive and toxic and may cause personal injuries or equipment damage if they escape from any battery. Most of the batteries available in regular commerce are quite abuse resistant and effectively contain the corrosive and toxic substances under normal user conditions. The escape of the battery contents, if it occurs, is generally caused by inadvertent or deliberate abuse or some form of mishandling. Battery defects introduced by poorly controlled manufacturing operations may also lead to containment problems.