Battery explosions causing heat and chemical burns to customers is not a new phenomenon. Several few years ago, a phone from one of the world’s top-manufacturers posed such a hazard of this that it was deemed a flight risk. It took years for the manufacturer to live down this manufacturing defect and create a follow-up that consumers felt as safe to buy as before.
In 2016, e-cigarettes became the next set of unintentional explosives. Some of these exploded on nightstands, in pockets and even during use in front of people’s faces. While these did not happen often, even one time was one time too many. Consumers who suffered injuries experienced burns on the face and hands. Some even experienced blindness and fractured bones.
The battery acid tends to goad the fire on, but it burns too. This can increase the damage caused to people. Some people’s knee-jerk response may also put themselves or others at risk. In these instances, a person could be driving or standing close to the top of a staircase.
One study published on Science Direct identified the three factors that cause the most damage to human skin and other organs. These include not just the heat and chemicals, but also the battery pieces that go flying. The study identified mobile phones as the biggest culprits and eye injuries as one of the most common that people suffered.
Heavy metals in the battery sometimes also lead to “dusting” and “tattooing” of the skin. In some instances, people experienced negative effects relaxed to toxins in the batteries. Hopefully, as technology advances, safety mechanisms for the batteries that power the tech humans rely on will improve as well.