ASSINIBOIA — Assiniboia Fire and Rescue Chief, Terry Lacelle, issued a monthly safety message on the importance of safety precautions with nine-volt (9V) batteries.
Powering smoke alarms, household items and toys, 9V batteries are found in most homes. However, these batteries can be a fire hazard if not stored or disposed of safely.
“Keep batteries in original packaging until you are ready to use them,”AFD reminds residents.
“If batteries will be loose, keep the posts covered with masking, duct or electrical tape. Prevent the posts from coming in contact with metal objects.”
The positive and negative posts on a 9V battery are close together, so if a metal object touches the two posts of one of these batteries, it can cause a short circuit, enough to create heat to start a fire.
It is vital to be aware and to take proactive measures, not to store 9V batteries in a drawer near paper clips, coins, pens or other batteries. Also, do not store common household items such as steel wool, aluminum foil or keys near these 9V batteries, due to greater risk of starting a fire.
The safety message issued by AFD also states, “Some fires have started in the trash when 9V batteries were thrown away … with other metal items.”
Take 9V batteries to a collection site or a household hazardous waste collection program. To ensure safety, cover the positive and negative posts with masking, duct or electrical tape before getting rid of them.
