Severity
Incident
Was Hydrogen Released?
Yes
Was There Ignition?
Yes
Describe the incident, including corrective steps taken and their result.
Incident Synopsis
During shipping preparation operations, out-gassed hydrogen/oxygen from a recently discharged silver/zinc battery in a hermetically sealed drum was ignited. Ignition was caused by a spark generated by the scraping of the battery against the side of the drum. An explosion occurred, blowing the lid from the drum, charring desiccant bags within the drum, and causing other damage.
Cause
The cause of the incident was inadequate handling/transporting/storage techniques. The battery was placed in the drum too soon after discharge.
Lessons Learned
It is characteristic of silver/zinc batteries to outgas both hydrogen and oxygen for several hours after discharge. Also, in the future, the battery should be properly secured inside the container.