THE BATTERY 5. THE BATTERY 5.1 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR WORK ON BATTERIES Electrolytic (wet) batteries contain sulphuric acid which can cause burns. It can also corrode clothing and make holes in it. If you get splashed with battery acid, wash the affected part immediately with plenty of water. S00011 Battery acid can cause blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes. If acid accidentally gets into your eyes, wash them immediately with plenty of clean, running water and consult a doctor straight away. If you accidentally swallow battery acid, drink plenty of water, milk, beaten egg white, vegeta- ble oil, or any anti-acid treatment such as milk of magnesia, bicarbonate of soda, etc..
Call a doc- tor urgently or go to the nearest poison treat- ment unit. WRONG Always wear safety goggles when working on batteries. Batteries produce hydrogen which is highly explosive in the presence of sparks or naked flames. S00013 Switch off the engine and remove the ignition key before starting any work on batteries. Avoid short-circuiting the battery, even acciden- tally. Avoid connecting the terminals to the machine’s frame or to tools. Do not invert the polarity of the terminals. Screw terminal clamps up tightly. Loose termi- nals can cause sparks which in turn can cause explosions in the battery.
S00016 5.2 STARTING THE ENGINE WITH JUMP LEADS Always wear safety goggles when using jump leads to start the engine. When using the battery of another machine to start the engine, do not allow the two machines to come into contact with each other. 19