Cargo Grab Batteries Overheating: The Importance of Battery Safety During cargo operations, the batteries of #cargograbs were charged every 24 hours in the ship’s office using dedicated chargers. On one occasion, the Chief Officer noticed a burning smell and discovered that one of the batteries was emitting #smoke. Charging was stopped immediately, and the #smoking battery was removed from the charging area and taken to a safe location on the open deck. It was later disposed of. Possible cause The #incident was most likely caused by internal damage to the battery, which prevented it from charging properly and resulted in overheating. No visible external damage was observed, and the other batteries were charging normally. The damage could have resulted from a strong impact or improper handling of the cargo #grab during #cargooperations. Key safety precautions • Never leave batteries #charging unattended for extended periods. • Do not #charge batteries that show visible signs of damage. • Keep batteries and chargers away from flammable materials. • If a battery overheats, produces smoke, or emits a burning smell, stop charging immediately and follow the vessel’s emergency procedures. • Follow the applicable safety instructions for lithium-ion #batteries, which can present a risk of thermal runaway and re-ignition. Important: An overheating or smoking lithium-ion battery presents a serious fire hazard. Do not attempt to handle or move it, or immerse it in water, unless this is specifically permitted by the emergency procedure and can be done safely. Restrict access to the affected area, inform the responsible officers, and follow the vessel’s emergency response plan. Even when a #battery looks normal externally, internal damage can lead to #overheating and #fire. Proper handling of cargo equipment and appropriate supervision during battery charging are essential to preventing similar incidents.

On ships, sockets and plugs most commonly burn due to poor electrical contact, rather than excessive load alone. When the contact between the plug pins and the socket contacts is loose, worn, or oxidized, the contact resistance increases. This produces localised heating according to P = I²R. Even a relatively small resistance can generate significant heat at high current. Other common causes include loose terminals inside the socket, worn contact springs, corrosion caused by the marine environment, overloaded #sockets, damaged plugs, and the use of adapters or extension leads. Vibration is also an important factor on ships. Continuous vibration and repeated plugging and unplugging can loosen connections over time. This creates a cycle of poor contact → heating → deformation of the plastic → even poorer contact → further heating. If only one socket is burning, first check the #socket terminals, contact springs, and the plug of the connected equipment. If several sockets on the same #circuit are overheating, check the circuit load, #breaker, junction boxes, and connections throughout the supply line. After serious #overheating, replacing only the socket is not enough. The #plug should also be inspected, because its pins may have been damaged, oxidised, or lost their proper contact pressure.

Types of pliers #pliers