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5. HEALTH & SAFETY INFORMATION
5.2 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR 
BATTERY POWERED TOOLS & 
CHARGERS
Good Working Practices/Safety
The following suggestions will enable you to observe 
good working practices, keep yourself and fellow workers 
safe and maintain your tools and equipment in good 
working order.
WARNING!! LEAKING BATTERY PACKS
The electrolyte in the battery packs is corrosive, if a 
battery pack is damaged and leaking, avoid 
contact with the skin; if contact is made, flush 
the area with running water, pat dry and seek 
medical attention and advice at the earliest 
opportunity, inform the medical service that the 
contaminant was a "high alkaline, corrosive liquid". If the 
electrolyte comes into contact with the eyes, flush with 
copious amounts of water only, seek medical attention 
immediately, relaying the information above.
WARNING!! KEEP TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT OUT OF THE 
REACH OF YOUNG CHILDREN
Battery Powered Tools
Workplace/Environment
Under no circumstances should CHILDREN be allowed in 
work areas.
It is good practice to leave the tool and the battery pack 
separated until work is about to commence; if this is not 
practical do not carry tools around with fingers near the 
trigger switch, and engage the stop-lock of the tool if one 
is available. It is preferable to move small tools e.g. drills 
and jigsaws to the work area in their carrying/storage 
cases; if this is not possible it is advisable that you do not 
mount the blades or drill bits into the tool until you reach 
the work area (they make effective stabbing tools if you 
trip or stumble).
If you are working from ladders or towers, ensure they are 
securely fixed/braced, and always maintain a balanced, 
comfortable working posture; do not over-reach, or 
perform simian agility exercises to get the work done, the 
extra time required to move the ladder or tower is a good 
trade off against injuries sustained from a fall. Similarly 
nonslip footwear and nonslip surfaces are a good 
investment.
If the work you are carrying out is liable to generate flying 
grit, dust, swarf or chips, wear the appropriate safety 
clothing, goggles, gloves, masks etc - if the work 
operation appears to be excessively noisy, wear 
ear-defenders. If you wear your hair in a long style, 
wearing a cap, safety helmet, hairnet, even a sweatband, 
will minimise the possibility of your hair being caught up 
in the rotating parts of the tool, likewise, consideration 
should be given to the removal of rings and wristwatches, 
if these are liable to be a hazard.
Do not work with cutting tools of any description if you 
are tired, your attention is wandering or you are being 
subjected to distraction. A deep cut, a lost finger tip or 
worse, is not worth it!
Do not use the tools within the designated safety areas of 
flammable liquid stores or in areas where there may be 
volatile gases. There are very expensive, very specialised 
tools for working in these areas, THESE ARE NOT THE 
TOOLS FOR THESE AREAS.
Do not discard old batteries, or old cutting tools of any 
description, into general rubbish; the cutting tools may 
still be sharp enough to inflict an injury, and old batteries 
if overheated or are part of rubbish that is to be disposed 
of by burning, are an explosion hazard. Similarly, do not 
dispose of old battery packs into clean water run-offs; if 
they eventually leak, they will become a pollutant hazard.
Check that cutting tools are undamaged and are kept 
clean and sharp, this will maintain their operating 
performance and lessen the loading on the tool. If 
possible, always use clamps or a vice to hold your work.
Do not put pressure on the drill, such that it slows the 
motor down. Allow the drill bit to drill without pressure. 
You will get better results and you will be taking better 
care of your tool.
Keep the area free of tripping hazards
Do not touch the bit after operation. It will be very hot.
5.3 SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS FOR 
MAINS POWERED BATTERY PACK 
CHARGERS
1. The charger is for INDOOR use only.
2. Prior to plugging the charger in to the supply, check 
that the plug and the cable are in good repair. If 
either are damaged, have the defective item replaced 
immediately by a suitably qualified person. If the 
casing of the battery charger is damaged, it is good 
policy to have the charger checked over by a suitably 
qualified person.
3. Only use a correctly rated mains outlet to provide 
power, do not plug into site generators, attach to 
engine generators or D.C. sources. Do not use a mains 
socket outlet that is not switched.
4. Only use the charger that was supplied with the 
battery pack, and vice versa.
5. Do not attempt to charge battery packs that are too 
hot (over 40ºC) or too cold (under 5ºC); if these 
conditions apply set the battery aside to "normalise" 
before proceeding with the charging operation.
6. Set up the charger and cable in a safe place where it 
won't be knocked, tripped over, stepped on, etc. and 
where it is well ventilated; make sure the ventilation 
slots in the charger case are not obstructed, plug the 
charger into the socket outlet.
7. Inspect the battery pack for damage; if it is 
undamaged, plug it into the charger, ensuring the 
correct orientation. (Most chargers and batteries have 
'keys' etc, to make sure the battery is not inserted 
incorrectly, if you are having to 'force' the battery 
into the charger, the chances are you have it the 
wrong way round, check and try again.)
8. Switch the charger on and check that the correct 
indicators illuminate, allow the battery pack to charge 
(see the specific instructions for your charger). Once 
charging is complete, switch the charger off, remove 
the battery pack and store, repeat the procedure if 
you have more than one battery to charge. Note that 
some RAPID chargers require a "rest" period between 
charges, read the instruction manual concerning your 
specific charger to see if this is the case. After 
charging is complete, unplug the charger from the 
socket outlet by pulling on the plug. Do not pull on 
the cable. Store the charger in a dry secure place.
9. If, when the charger was switched on, the correct 
indications did not occur, leave for two or three 
minutes to allow the charger to stabilise; if the correct 
indications occur, allow the charging cycle to proceed 
as normal. If no indication appears at all, switch off, 
remove the battery pack, unplug the charger, check 
that the charger contacts and the battery contacts are 
clean and repeat the process; if there is still no 
indication, switch off, remove the battery pack, 
unplug the charger and check the fuse. If the fuse is 
blown, replace and repeat the process; if the fuse 
blows again, or if the fuse was intact, attempt no 
further action. Refer the charger to a suitably 
qualified person for assessment/repair.