Rank: Forum user 
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I had a near miss recently, in my organisation we have computer server rooms where the servers are protected by a lead acid battery back up system. An IT employee reported an unpleasant odour coming from a server room and subsequent investigation revealed that one of the batteries had shorted internally, ruptured and released hydrogen sulphide (In low ppm) Just want to remind everyone that if you have background backup systems that use lead acid batteries, monitor thier age and replace them on periodicity and not performance.
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Rank: Forum user 
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Hi mal,
I noticed that you are in the aviation and aerospace sector, just a thought but do you have access to a battery shop that can carry out maintenance on these batteries on a regular basis probably be cheaper than replacing them on a regular basis
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Rank: Super forum user
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Malcarleton:- Just out of interest, and the fact we have extensive battery UPS systems, how did you deal with this release hydrogen sulphide??
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Rank: Forum user
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Not certain if we are talking about exactly the same type of batteries but after an incident involving H2S during an electrical drop test we mandated a ventilation period before work could begin. I am also of the understanding the acid in these type of batteries may come in gel form which release signifcantly less or no H2S.
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Rank: Forum user
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Apart from the release of hydrogen sulphide from faulty lead acid batteries. There is also the risk of thermal runaway from not only lead acid batteries but also from most types if not all of batteries. That is why it is essential that batteries should be subjected to at least regular maintenance to identify faults before they become disasters. Although uncommon, it is an issue. Here is a staged demo of a laptop battery in thermal runaway
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Rank: Forum user
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They are BT4.5-12 sealed batteries, so they can't be serviced, the manufacturers recommendation seems to be to replace them every 5 years but when this place was set up nobody took that into consideration (My guess is they were 7 years old) all have been replaced and put on a 5 year life cycle.
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Rank: Forum user
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I think they are gel filled, there was no spillage, just a split like a thin crack on the top of one of the casings about an inch long
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