IEC TR 61955:1998

TECHNICAL
IEC
REPORT
First edition
1998-08
Primary batteries –
Summary of research and actions limiting risks
to reversed installation of primary batteries
Piles –
Résumé des recherches et des mesures
de limitation des risques dus à l’installation de piles
avec polarité inversée
Reference number
IEC 61955:1998(E)
Numbering
As from 1 January 1997 all IEC publications are issued with a designation in the
60000 series.
Consolidated publications
Consolidated versions of some IEC publications including amendments are

available. For example, edition numbers 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 refer, respectively, to the
base publication, the base publication incorporating amendment 1 and the base

publication incorporating amendments 1 and 2.

Validity of this publication
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC,
thus ensuring that the content reflects current technology.
Information relating to the date of the reconfirmation of the publication is available
in the IEC catalogue.
Information on the subjects under consideration and work in progress undertaken by
the technical committee which has prepared this publication, as well as the list of
publications issued, is to be found at the following IEC sources:
• IEC web site*
• Catalogue of IEC publications
Published yearly with regular updates
(On-line catalogue)*
• IEC Bulletin
Available both at the IEC web site* and as a printed periodical
Terminology, graphical and letter symbols
For general terminology, readers are referred to IEC 60050: International
Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV).
For graphical symbols, and letter symbols and signs approved by the IEC for
general use, readers are referred to publications IEC 60027: Letter symbols to be
used in electrical technology, IEC 60417: Graphical symbols for use on equipment.
Index, survey and compilation of the single sheets and IEC 60617: Graphical symbols
for diagrams.
* See web site address on title page.

TECHNICAL
IEC
REPORT – TYPE 3
First edition
1998-08
Primary batteries –
Summary of research and actions limiting risks
to reversed installation of primary batteries
Piles –
Résumé des recherches et des mesures
de limitation des risques dus à l’installation de piles
avec polarité inversée
 IEC 1998  Copyright - all rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Telefax: +41 22 919 0300 e-mail: inmail@iec.ch IEC web site http: //www.iec.ch
Commission Electrotechnique Internationale
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International Electrotechnical Commission
For price, see current catalogue

– 2 – 61955 © IEC:1998 (E)
CONTENTS
Page
FOREWORD . 3

Clause
1 Scope. 4

2 Reference documents. 4

3 Background. 4
4 General. 5
4.1 Battery compartment guidelines . 5
4.2 Clarification note to IEC 60086-1 . 5
4.3 Consumer information. 5
4.4 Concentricity of the positive terminal . 5
4.5 IEC 60086-5 – Product safety standard for primary batteries. 5
5 Conclusion. 6
Annex A (informative) Consumer information leaflet. 7
Annex B (informative) Battery compartment guidelines. 9

61955 © IEC:1998 (E) – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

_________
PRIMARY BATTERIES –
Summary of research and actions limiting risks to

reversed installation of primary batteries

FOREWORD
1) The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising all
national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of the IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and in
addition to other activities, the IEC publishes International Standards. Their preparation is entrusted to technical
committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory
work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this
preparation. The IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in
accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of the IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an
international consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation
from all interested National Committees.
3) The documents produced have the form of recommendations for international use and are published in the form
of standards, technical reports or guides and they are accepted by the National Committees in that sense.
4) In order to promote international unification, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC International Standards
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional standards. Any divergence between the IEC
Standard and the corresponding national or regional standard shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) The IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any
equipment declared to be in conformity with one of its standards.
6) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject
of patent rights. The IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. In
exceptional circumstances, a technical committee may propose the publication of a technical
report of one of the following types:
• type 1, when the required support cannot be obtained for the publication of an
International Standard, despite repeated efforts;
• type 2, when the subject is still under technical development or where for any other reason
there is the future but no immediate possibility of an agreement on an International Standard;
• type 3, when a technical committee has collected data of a different kind from that
which is normally published as an International Standard, for example "state of the art".
Technical reports of types 1 and 2 are subject to review within three years of publication to
decide whether they can be transformed into International Standards. Technical reports of

type 3 do not necessarily have to be reviewed until the data they provide are considered to be
no longer valid or useful.
IEC 61955, which is a technical report of type 3, has been prepared by technical committee 35:
Primary cells and batteries.
The text of this technical report is based on the following documents:
Committee draft Report on voting
35/1030/CDV 35/1045/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this technical report can be found in the report
on voting indicated in the above table.
A bilingual version of this report may be issued at a later date.

– 4 – 61955 © IEC:1998 (E)
PRIMARY BATTERIES –
Summary of research and actions limiting risks to

reversed installation of primary batteries

1 Scope
This technical report provides information relevant to the safe design of batteries and battery

powered devices together with appropriate cautionary advice to consumers. This report is

primarily intended to be used by

– battery manufacturers;
– equipment manufacturers;
– designers;
– standard writers;
– consumer organizations;
– charger manufacturers.
This report may also be of assistance to
– educational authorities;
–users;
– procurement personnel;
– regulatory authorities.
2 Reference documents
IEC 60086-1:1996, Primary batteries – Part 1: General
IEC 60086-2:1997, Primary batteries – Part 2: Specification sheets
IEC Guide 104:1997, The preparation of safety publications and the use of basic safety
publications and group safety publications
ISO/IEC Guide 51:1990, Guidelines for the inclusion of safety aspects in standards
3 Background
Primary batteries have become more sophisticated in both chemistry and construction with

both capacity and rate capability being increased to meet the ever-growing advances in battery-
powered equipment technology. Resulting from these continuing developments and recognizing
the need for safety, technical committee 35 investigated the common modes of failure resulting
from consumer inadvertent misuse. Specific attention was given to researching solutions
limiting risks due to reverse installation of batteries which is the most common mode of
consumer misuse.
Statistical research:
– information coming from publicly available data relating to accidents involving batteries;
– industry-based statistics provided through trade associations;
– availability of independent statistics through the IEC Advisory Committee on Safety
(ACOS).
61955 © IEC:1998 (E) – 5 –
Battery design considerations
– investigated mandatory design convergence;

– alternative design solutions including patent research;

– clarified information in existing documentation relating to terminal design.

Battery compartment design considerations

– published battery compartment design guidelines to limit the problems associated with the

reverse placement of a battery in multi-cell (three or more) applications;

– promoted the safe positioning of compartments and foolproofing access.

Consumer information
– promoted the safe handling of batteries by publishing a consumer information leaflet
including cautionary advice.
4 General
4.1 Battery co
...