200503 Dead Batteries

Dead Batteries
MARS Report 200503

One of our vessels carries a well known make of handheld emergency GMDSS Radios. We recently replaced some of the sealed spare batteries and decided to test the old ones to see if they still worked (the expiry date on them is 2007). We broke the seal and fitted the batteries to find all of them were dead (the radios operated correctly on the rechargeable batteries, we tested them all). We have been advised that breaking the seal to test them would mean they fail radio survey and would have to be replaced. Every other piece of emergency equipment is regularly tested and proved, now we have to rely on something that we do not trust and cannot test.

When the manufacturer's agency was contacted they appeared somewhat disinterested and insisted that they could take the matter no further unless we were able to advise who actually supplied the batteries. Our records could not define this, however, the batteries are clearly marked as those of this company and we presume there is only a limited number of locations where they are produced. It would not be difficult for the company to track this down using serial numbers etc, but they did not want this information.

Although the name of the manufacturer of the batteries has been deleted (without prejudice or admitting liablity), it was not intended as a condemnation of that firms products. Other firms batteries may suffer from similar defects and a means of testing them should be devised by the manufacturers. RB.