Batteries are safe to use under normal conditions; however, improper handling may lead to overheating, electrolyte leakage, rupture or fire, and potentially result in personal injury and/or property damage. For safety use, be sure to follow the instructions below. With regard to rechargeable batteries, follow the instructions printed on battery cell and/or the package of battery products.

1. Observe the following precautions to ensure safety.

(1) Do not directly touch electrolyte (fluid from batteries).

In case battery leakage occurs, do not directly touch electrolyte (fluid from batteries). Direct contact of electrolyte may damage the clothing, corrode your skin, and even cause loss of eyesight if it gets into your eyes. If electrolyte of alkaline batteries gets into your eyes, immediately rinse them with plenty of water and seek medical treatment. If licked, immediately rinse your mouth and gargle with plenty of water and seek medical advice. If the electrolyte contacts your clothing or skin, rinse the affected area repeatedly with water.

(2) Do not charge batteries, except for rechargeable batteries.

Primary batteries are not designed for charging. If they are charged, gases may be generated inside of the batteries, causing overheating, rupture or fire.

(3) Do not short-circuit batteries.

Do not connect the positive (+) and negative (－) terminals of batteries with a wire. Do not carry or store batteries together with metal necklaces, hairpins, coins or other metallic objects in order to avoid short-circuit. If batteries are short-circuited, excessive current will flow, which may generate heat, possibly damaging the battery structure, and causing overheating, leakage, rupture or fire.

(4) Do not disassemble batteries.

Do not peel off or damage battery outer tube or label. Improper disassembly of batteries may result in injury of the hands or the fingers; or cause electrolyte splashes, which may damage the eyes and skins. If primary lithium coin batteries are disassembled and the internal metallic lithium is exposed, it may react violently on contact with water, causing fire hazard.

(5) Do not deform batteries.

Deforming batteries by a strong force or pressure may cause an internal short-circuit or other abnormalities, resulting in overheating, leakage, rupture or fire.

(6) Do not heat batteries.

If the batteries are heated, the battery structure may be damaged, possibly causing overheating, and rupture.

(7) Do not dispose of batteries in fire.

The batteries may rupture or burn violently when disposed of in fire.

(8) Do not directly solder batteries.

Direct soldering onto the battery terminals may cause the batteries to be heated, which may damage battery structure, resulting in overheating, leakage, and rupture.

(9) Do not provide a strong impact to batteries.

If batteries are dropped, thrown or otherwise provided a strong impact, the battery structure may be damaged, which may possibly cause an internal short-circuit or other abnormalities, resulting in overheating, leakage, rupture or fire.

(10) Do not insert batteries improperly (reversely).

Check the positive (+) and negative (－) terminals of the equipment and insert batteries correctly in accordance with the instruction of the equipment. If batteries are inserted improperly or reversely, abnormalities may occur due to charging, a short-circuit, etc., possibly resulting in overheating, leakage, rupture or fire.

(11) Do not overdischarge batteries.

If batteries are kept installed in the equipment (e.g., you forget to turn off the power switch) even after the equipment is not in use, batteries continue to supply powers, leading to an overdischarged status. This may cause gas generation inside the batteries, possibly resulting in leakage or rupture, or damaging the equipment. If two or more batteries that are connected together are overdischarged, the battery voltage can drop below 0V (polarity inversion), further increasing the possibility of leakage or rupture.

(12) Do not mix batteries.

When you use two or more batteries in the same equipment, do not mix different types or brands of batteries together, and do not mix used and new batteries. If different types of batteries or new and used batteries are used together, the equipment may not operate properly, and the overall performance may be lowered or battery life may become shortened because of different voltage or capacity of each battery. In addition, the battery exhausted first may be excessively drained (overdischarged status), which may eventually result in leakage or rupture. Replace all batteries with new batteries at the same time, when replacing batteries.

2. Observe the following safety precautions to prevent batteries from being swallowed.

Children can easily put small-sized batteries (e.g., AAA size, N size, button cells, coin cells) into their mouth and even swallow them. Keep all batteries out of reach of children. Consult a doctor immediately if a battery is swallowed.

The contents of this page are as of January 2020.