Prevention Through Design, Strategies To Reduce The Hazards Of Stationary Battery Systems Through Intelligent Design: Copyright Material IEEE Paper No. ESW2021-25

Stationary Battery Systems provide the control and reserve power for modern life as we know it. These systems provide control power for switchgear and automated controls, the power for field flashing of generators, emergency lube oil and seal oil pumps and other critical motors, the reserve power for UPS systems, and the operating power for critical communication systems. In short these battery systems make modern life possible, and they surround us. Stationary Battery Systems present unique maintenance hazards due to the availability of high currents, lethal voltages, flammable/explosive gas, and corrosive chemicals. All work on stationary batteries is energized work. This paper will show that we can make the stationary battery systems safer today by implementing a few well thought out, yet simple and low-cost system design changes that reduce the potential for injury and death while ensuring that the battery system can be safely maintained throughout its service life. Another major concern addressed in the paper is the designing of simple protection devices that guard against Human Performance failings. “Things Happen”. By learning from experience, we can provide simple design changes that reduce the potential of things like short circuits caused by dropped wrenches. We will also address the need to guard against fixing one problem only to inadvertently produce another. Prevention through Design for Stationary batteries …Its time has come, and it's about time!