Lead-Acid Battery
Handling and Recycling
The Environment Safety & Health Guidelines
For Safe Lead-Acid Battery Handling & Recycling.
The ES&H Guideline will help staff safely manage used lead-acid batteries
for recycling. If your site uses lead-acid batteries or serves as the
central repository for used lead-acid batteries and arranges off-site
shipment to a recycler.
Note: Please consult ES&H Manual, Chapter 17, “Hazardous
Waste,” for information on how to manage your used lead-acid batteries.
What type of battery is a lead-acid battery?
Lead-acid batteries supply power to motor vehicles, heavy equipment,
and emergency lights. These batteries range in size and have a capacity
of six volts or more. They contain hazardous material (lead and acid).
Lead-acid batteries are one among many types of batteries.
How to safely handle used lead-acid batteries
If a lead-acid battery is damaged or is missing a cap, it could leak
acid. Battery acid can severely damage your eyes and skin. To protect
yourself, use personal protective equipment when handling a battery
that may be damaged or leaking (for more information, see ES&H Manual,
Chapter 19, “Personal Protective Equipment”).
At a minimum, protect yourself from battery acid in the following ways:
- Wear gloves that are acid-resistant.
- Wear safety glasses.
- Double-bag damaged batteries in polyethylene plastic bags that
are at least six millimeters in thickness.
- If you can replace a missing battery cap, do so immediately. Otherwise,
consider a battery with a missing cap “damaged” and double-bag the
battery in six-millimeter polyethylene plastic bags.
How to mark used lead-acid batteries for recycling
Mark each used lead-acid battery and each double-bagged damaged battery
with the date it was taken out of service. Write the date in large letters
with a weather-resistant marker (such as indelible ink or paint).
How to safely store used lead-acid batteries for
recycling
Battery acid can severely damage your eyes and skin. Use personal protective
equipment when handling lead-acid batteries ( Chapter 19 of the ES&H
Manual covers, “Personal Protective Equipment”). At a minimum, wear
safety glasses and wear gloves that are acid-resistant.
Create a designated area to store used lead-acid batteries in the following
way:
- Store lead-acid batteries apart from other types of batteries.
- Store lead-acid batteries in a single layer. (Stacking increases
the risk of short circuits and acid leaks).
- Use secondary containment that is resistant to acid (such as polyethylene).
- Have an eyewash station in the area (or a sign indicating the location
of the nearest eyewash station).
Keep the following supplies in your lead-acid battery storage area:
Gloves that are resistant to acids.
- A supply of polyethylene plastic bags (six millimeter or thicker,
and sized to contain the largest battery expected for storage).
- Rags or disposable wipes (for acid leak clean-up).
- Appropriate absorbent (for spill clean-up).
- A weather-resistant pen or paint pen (for marking used batteries).
- A posted copy of this ES&H Guideline.
How to transport used lead-acid batteries on-site
ES&H instructs personnel to contact the Transportation HWMC for disposal
of lead-acid batteries. The batteries may be brought to Transportation
(in accordance with the instructions in ES&H Manual, Chapter 17) or
Transportation staff can pick them up.
Note: It is fine to transport intact lead-acid batteries
and damaged lead-acid batteries together, as long as you double-bag
each damaged battery in six-millimeter polyethylene plastic bags.
How to ship used lead-acid batteries off-site
for recycling
Send lead-acid batteries off-site to a reclamation facility at least
every three months (sooner, if the accumulated quantity of batteries
is too large for your storage area). For each shipment, use a bill-of-lading
with the following information:
- Date of shipment
- Description of waste: Spent Lead Acid Batteries
- The number of batteries included in the shipment
- Repository's name and address:
- Transporter’s name and address
- The name and address of the reclamation facility
Note: Keep a copy of each bill-of-lading
for a minimum of three years.
The transporter of lead acid batteries must comply with the
following requirements:
- No other hazardous material may be transported in the same vehicle
with the lead acid batteries.
- The lead acid batteries must be loaded or secured to prevent damage
and short circuits during transit.
- Other material (such as a dolly or spare tire) in the vehicle must
also be secured.
- The transport vehicle containing lead acid batteries from SLAC
may only carry material shipped by the shipper of the lead acid batteries
(SLAC).
To ensure that the transporter complies with these requirements:
- Inspect the vehicle after the batteries have been loaded and secured.
- Create a document listing the transporter requirements.
- Have the transporter read and sign the document, acknowledging
that they understand and will comply with the requirements.
- Attach the signed document to the SLAC copy of the Bill-of-lading
and retain it for a minimum of three years.
What To Do For A Battery Acid Spill
Battery acid can severely damage your eyes and skin. Use personal protective
equipment when handling a spill or a leaking battery.
At a minimum, wear safety glasses and wear gloves that are acid-resistant.
If battery acid leaks into a secondary containment unit such as a battery
acid spill containment tray or battery spill pad:
Double-bag the leaking battery in six-millimeter polyethylene plastic
bags.
- Clean the spilled battery acid with rags or disposable wipes and
appropriate absorbent.
- Manage the clean-up material as hazardous waste by placing it in
an acid debris waste accumulation container provided by the Waste
Management Department (WM).
If your work area does not have an acid debris hazardous waste accumulation
container:
- Place the battery acid clean-up materials in a small pail or polyethylene
plastic bag
- Label the pail or plastic bag as hazardous waste (see the section
Labeling Hazardous Waste in Chapter 17 of the ES&H Manual).
Call Waste Management to remove the spill clean-up material no later
than five working days after the spill.
Battery Acid Spill Containment
The best way to minimize the risks associated
with battery acid spills is with proper battery spill containment products.
Battery Spill Containment Pads and Containment Spill Trays keep battery
acid contained, preventing these harmful liquids from spreading to other
work areas. Battery spill containment products keep the battery acid isolated,
reducing the risk of exposure until proper cleanup can be implemented.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact your ES&H Coordinator.
A list of the principal ES&H Coordinators is available on the ES&H Web
site.
Related Dawg® Products
Secondary Spill Containment:
Store Batteries and Other Materials That Contain Harsh Chemicals
Battery
Spill Containment Pads
Personal Protection Equipment:
Safety
Glasses
Disposable
Nitrile Gloves
Safety
Nitrile Gloves
Latex
Rubber Gloves
Absorbents:
Hazmat
Absorbent Pads & Rolls
Hazmat
Absorbent Socks
Disposable Wipers & Rags:
Disposable
Wipers
