Personal Safety Precautions; Preparing To Test - Schumacher Electric BT-175 Owner's Manual

PERSONAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

• Wear complete eye and clothing protection when
working near lead-acid batteries. Always have
someone nearby for help.
• Have plenty of fresh water, soap and baking soda
nearby, in case battery acid contacts your eyes,
skin or clothing. Wash immediately with soap and
water and seek medical attention.
• If battery acid comes into contact with eyes, flush
eyes immediately for at least 10 minutes and get
medical attention.
• Neutralize any acid spills thoroughly with baking
soda before attempting to clean up.
• Remove all personal metal items from your body,
such as rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches.
A lead-acid battery can produce a short circuit
current high enough to weld a ring to metal,
causing a severe burn.
• Never smoke or allow a spark or flame in the
vicinity of the battery or engine.
• Be extra cautious, to reduce risk of dropping a
metal tool onto battery. It might spark or short-
circuit battery or other electrical part that may
cause explosion.
• Be sure area around battery is well ventilated
while battery is being tested.
• Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep
corrosion from coming in contact with eyes.
• If the battery is not sealed, maintenance-free, add
distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches
level specified by battery manufacturer. This helps
purge excessive gas from cells. Do not overfill.
• If necessary to remove battery from vehicle for
testing, always remove grounded terminal from
battery first. Make sure all accessories in the
vehicle are off, so as not to cause an arc.

PREPARING TO TEST

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