Motolite warns vs improper storage of used car batteries

MANILA, Philippines — Motolite, the country’s leading and most trusted automotive battery brand, advised motorists and businesses to exercise caution should they see the need to store used lead acid batteries (ULABs) within their premises.

This is to avoid accidents such as fire and contamination due to the chemicals and toxic heavy metals that are present in old batteries.

Improper storage of ULABs could lead to acid spillage, contamination of other items placed nearby, and even fire due to the possibility of a short circuit happening when two battery terminals get into contact, or a buildup of heat and pressure that could cause the battery to explode.

The Bureau of Fire Protection, for instance, reported that the Manila Central Post Office fire last May 21 was due to the self-discharge of a car battery that resulted in “thermal run-away” and eventually explosion. It also happened that office supplies, thinners, and paint cans were stored near the car batteries.

This is why the implementing rules of Republic Act (RA) 6969, or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act, listed ULABs as among the many hazardous wastes that need to be stored, transported, and disposed of properly due to their environmental, health and safety implications.

Motorists sometimes opt to keep their old batteries instead of trading them in for a discount when they buy new ones for reasons such as: to use them for lighting or power purposes, to give them to relatives, or to use them as spare batteries. Note, however, that if these batteries are already old or failing, it makes greater sense to trade these in for discount on a fresh battery.

Public and private entities, meanwhile, store their ULABs as they wait for accredited transporters to pick them up, as required by RA 6969.

To free themselves of this burden of storing their old batteries along with the risks that go with it, Motolite advises motorists and enterprises to instead contact a government-accredited entity that can ensure proper handling of ULABs, especially if they are accumulating a substantial number of ULABs regularly.