High demand battery packs have allowed many construction workers ditch the cords on jobsites throughout the country, by providing more power and longer runtime. As with any battery packs, it’s important to follow safety warnings, but with a higher capacity can sometimes mean greater consequences when those warnings are not followed.
After additional testing on their 9.0Ah M18 battery pack, Milwaukee Tool has recently announced an expanded safety warning to make sure that customers are aware of how to avoid potential issues. It’s important to note that this safety warning is not a recall and it’s not unsafe to use your batteries. To stay out of danger, your batteries should be kept out of contact with highly conductive or corrosive materials, such as seawater, industrial chemicals, and products that contain bleach.
You can read Milwaukee’s full press release below for more information:
---Press Release Below---
MILWAUKEE, WI – JUNE 29, 2017 – In consultation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”), Milwaukee Tool is voluntarily expanding the warnings and instructions of its M18™ HIGH DEMAND™ 9.0 battery pack (model no. 48-11-1890). The expanded product warnings address situations that could lead to a battery pack failure and/or other safety hazards. This safety notice does not require users to return their M18™ HIGH DEMAND™ 9.0 battery packs.
Should highly conductive or corrosive fluids get inside the M18™ HIGH DEMAND™ 9.0 battery pack in sufficient quantities, it can cause battery pack failure. Failure can include short-circuit which, in the extreme situation, can result in smoking or fire, even when not in use. Examples of highly conductive or corrosive fluids include seawater, certain industrial chemicals and bleach or bleach-containing products.
Because Milwaukee Tool is committed to continuously improving safety, quality and customer satisfaction for the professional trades, the company is proactively taking immediate action, issuing expanded warnings and instructions for the M18™ HIGH DEMAND™ 9.0 battery pack.
Milwaukee Tool is urging its customers to download, read and understand the expanded warnings and instructions in their entirety at milwaukeetool.com/safetynotices, where they will also find frequently asked questions and answers.
Any customers who believe highly conductive or corrosive fluids have entered their M18™ HIGH DEMAND™ 9.0 battery pack should immediately contact Milwaukee Tool at 1-844-577-5515 (7am to 10pm Eastern Time Sunday through Saturday).
Last summer, Hilti announced that they had developed their first exoskeleton designed for construction tradespeople in a partnership with Ottobuck, a prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeleton provider. Earlier this month, Hilti officially released the exoskeleton, announced more details, and published its retail price on their website.