Warehouses, 3PLs, Fulfilment & Reverse Logistics

Battery safety for warehousing, logistics and distribution.

Warehouses handle lithium batteries both as cargo and as operational equipment. The right control starts by identifying what is in your custody, confirming its condition and documentation, and routing it through the correct storage, handling, charging, isolation or transport process.

Battery cargo & operational equipment Forward + reverse logistics Known · uncertain · abnormal
One warehouse, two battery worlds

Batteries can be the cargo — or they can power the warehouse itself.

A distribution centre may simultaneously hold battery-powered consumer products, loose replacement batteries, customer returns, scanner batteries, forklift systems and damaged goods awaiting disposition.

Battery Safe Systems should separate those populations before selecting equipment, because product status, packaging and the next movement in the supply chain can materially change the correct control.

01

Battery-powered goods

Laptops, tools, electronics and equipment containing or packed with lithium batteries.

02

Loose batteries / spares

Replacement packs, cells and batteries stored separately from the equipment they power.

03

Operational batteries

Scanners, radios, tools and other removable batteries used to run the warehouse.

04

Motive power

Forklifts, order pickers, pallet trucks, AGVs and AMRs using integrated lithium battery systems.

05

Returns / reverse logistics

Opened, returned, refurbished or uncertain goods requiring status triage before the next route is chosen.

06

Abnormal batteries

Damaged, defective, recalled, swollen, overheated or end-of-life batteries leaving the ordinary flow.

Battery Safe Systems — logistics principle A logistics operation needs to control both the battery and the information that travels with it.
Scale boundary High-pile, palletised or ASRS battery inventory and large high-voltage battery logistics can require warehouse fire-protection engineering, insurer and AHJ review before ordinary cabinet-scale product selection.
Three custody states

Returned does not automatically mean damaged — but it may no longer belong in the normal inventory route.

Warehouses need a practical way to distinguish known serviceable inventory from goods whose condition or documentation is uncertain, and from batteries that have clearly become abnormal.

01

Known / serviceable

Declared product, known identity, expected condition, intact packaging and normal inventory route.

02

Uncertain

Opened return, incomplete history, suspect declaration, missing information or third-party battery requiring triage.

03

Abnormal

Damaged, defective, recalled, swollen, overheating, leaking or otherwise unsuitable for ordinary stock handling.

Status principleDo not automatically restock uncertainty — but do not classify every return as damaged either.

Use a defined condition-triage process owned by trained personnel before choosing the next storage, return, quarantine or transport route.

Three-part logistics decision

What are you handling, where is it in the flow, and what needs to happen next?

The selector organises the requirement. It does not replace dangerous-goods training, carrier requirements, local fire-code review, OEM motive-power instructions or specialist fire-engineering assessment.

01
What are you handling? Start with product configuration and custody status.
02
Where is it in the logistics flow? The warehouse stage determines what information and physical controls are needed next.
03
What needs to happen? Storage, operational charging, return triage, isolation and shipping are different duties.
Battery-powered goods in normal packaging · Inbound / receiving · Store / hold

Confirm product configuration and inventory status before changing the storage route.

Battery-powered goods in normal packaging can be treated differently from loose battery stock. Confirm what the product contains, how it arrived, its condition and the applicable warehouse/fire-code basis before selecting additional controls.

Give particular attention to
  • Battery alone / packed with / contained in equipment
  • Original packaging and receiving condition
  • Quantity, rack/pallet arrangement and dwell time
  • Local fire-code / insurer requirements where scale requires review
Your current starting point Battery-powered goods in normal packaging · Inbound / receiving · Store / hold
Continue this requirement in the Guided Quote
Active incident? Heating, venting, smoke or fire is not a normal receiving, returns or shipping task.

Follow the site emergency process and emergency-service instructions. Do not use the selector as permission to move an actively deteriorating battery.

Forward logistics workflow

Battery information needs to remain intact from receiving to carrier handoff.

A warehouse can inherit lithium-battery risk through the products it receives. The control process should therefore verify the shipment sufficiently to keep normal goods on the correct route and exceptions out of it.

01

Declare / receive

Product identity, battery configuration, packaging and shipment information arrive with the goods.

02

Store

Normal inventory enters the appropriate floor/rack/ASRS arrangement based on status and scale.

03

Pick / pack

The outbound shipment is prepared using the correct product/battery configuration and packaging route.

04

Carrier handoff

Mode, carrier acceptance, marks/documents and any dangerous-goods requirements are confirmed.

Exception control Missing, inconsistent or changed battery information should trigger review before ordinary fulfilment continues.
01

Inbound identity

  • Battery alone / packed with / contained in equipment
  • Manufacturer / product / model
  • Wh / chemistry where applicable
  • Declared UN number where applicable
  • Shipment documents / test-summary availability where relevant
02

Receiving condition

  • Package intact / crushed / wet / opened
  • Visible battery damage
  • Mismatch between goods and declaration
  • Unexpected third-party / aftermarket battery
  • Defined exception route
03

Storage scale

  • Carton / pallet / rack / ASRS
  • Loose battery or battery-powered product
  • Peak inventory / dwell time
  • State of charge where known and relevant
  • Building fire-protection interface
04

Outbound mode

  • Road / rail / sea / air
  • Carrier network may change mode
  • Packaging basis
  • Marks / labels / documentation
  • Carrier acceptance must still be confirmed
Undeclared battery problem Ecommerce and parcel fulfilment can introduce lithium batteries into the dangerous-goods chain even when the shipment is not presented as hazardous material.

Train the relevant personnel to identify battery-containing products and route uncertain shipments into the organisation's dangerous-goods process.

Warehouse-scale inventory

Cabinet-scale storage and pallet/rack battery warehousing are different engineering problems.

Once inventory becomes palletised, high-piled, rack-stored or automated through ASRS, the protection problem includes packaging, storage arrangement, sprinkler/fire-protection design, aisle/separation, inventory status and building response.

01

Configuration

  • Battery alone / product containing battery
  • Original retail packaging
  • Cartons / trays / pallets
  • Loose or packaged cells/packs
  • Installed in equipment or separate
02

Storage arrangement

  • Floor / shelf / rack / high-pile
  • ASRS / automated retrieval
  • Storage height and footprint
  • Aisles / separation
  • Handling equipment and access
03

Battery state

  • Known serviceable inventory
  • State of charge where relevant
  • Opened / returned / uncertain stock
  • Damaged / defective / recalled exclusion
  • Inventory turnover / dwell time
04

Property protection

  • Automatic sprinkler system
  • Detection / alarm
  • Building compartmentation
  • Insurer/loss-prevention expectations
  • AHJ / fire-engineering escalation
Warehouse escalationHigh-pile, palletised or ASRS battery inventory may require a fire-protection strategy before ordinary product selection.

Battery Safe Systems can support the storage, isolation, monitoring or handling functions that strategy identifies, but should not represent a cabinet as the complete warehouse solution.

Batteries powering the warehouse

Scanners and maintenance batteries can follow a controlled charging route. Forklifts and automated vehicles may not.

Warehouse battery safety should distinguish small removable operational batteries from integrated motive-power systems designed around a specific vehicle, battery and charger architecture.

01

Scanners / radios / tools

  • Total inventory
  • Simultaneous charging demand
  • Shift-change peaks
  • Compatible chargers
  • Controlled storage/charging area
02

Warehouse maintenance

  • Tool-crib ownership
  • Inspection and battery rotation
  • Charging capacity
  • Damaged-battery route
  • Out-of-hours monitoring
03

Forklifts / AGVs / AMRs

  • Vehicle + battery + charger ecosystem
  • OEM opportunity charging
  • Fleet-energy management
  • Warehouse throughput / uptime
  • Do not substitute a generic cabinet for the OEM charging system
04

Surrounding motive-power controls

  • Damaged battery response
  • Spare/removable packs where applicable
  • Charging-area fire strategy
  • Manufacturer service / return
  • Incident and transport planning
Motive-power boundary Forklift, AGV and AMR charging should normally remain inside the equipment manufacturer's battery/charger system.

Battery Safe Systems can support separate portable-battery charging, isolation, fire-planning and transport requirements where those duties are defined.

Reverse logistics

Returns need a condition-triage process before they become inventory again.

Ecommerce returns, service returns and battery-powered products coming back through the supply chain can arrive with opened packaging, uncertain history, third-party batteries or reported faults. Their next route should be deliberate.

01

Return received

Capture product identity, reason for return, package condition and available battery information.

02

Identify

Confirm the product/battery configuration without unnecessary opening or alteration.

03

Triage

Determine whether the item remains normal, needs technical review or should leave ordinary stock handling.

04

Route

Restock / refurbish / supplier return / quarantine / recycler / compliant transport.

A
Normal route

Known / serviceable

  1. 01 Confirm identity and acceptable condition
  2. 02 Follow the organisation's technical/restock criteria
  3. 03 Restore normal inventory status only when justified
  4. 04 Preserve correct product/battery information
B
Uncertain route

Opened / unknown / inconsistent

  1. 01 Hold outside automatic restock
  2. 02 Escalate to trained technical / dangerous-goods owner
  3. 03 Verify identity, condition and documentation
  4. 04 Choose restock, repair, return or abnormal route
C
Abnormal route

Damaged / defective / recalled

Remove from the ordinary fulfilment stream, use the site's isolation process, determine whether movement is appropriate and apply the relevant dangerous-goods route before external shipment.

Explore damaged-battery isolation
US reverse-logistics point Lithium cells and batteries are not automatically covered by the general US reverse-logistics exception.

Where dangerous-goods rules apply, use the specific lithium-battery transport provisions rather than assuming ordinary return-shipping rules are sufficient.

Logistics control framework

Know what is in custody. Verify its status. Route it correctly.

This framework connects warehouse operations, battery condition and transport requirements without asking the warehouse team to become a battery laboratory or dangerous-goods consultancy.

01

Know

Battery alone, packed with equipment or contained in equipment? Manufacturer, model, chemistry, Wh and shipment identity where available.

02

Verify

New, returned, opened, damaged, defective or recalled? Packaging intact? Declaration/documentation consistent with what was received?

03

Route

Normal inventory, technical review, charging, quarantine, internal movement, supplier return, recycler or external shipment.

04

Escalate

Bulk rack/ASRS storage, missing DG information, severely damaged batteries and specialist high-voltage logistics may need competent external review.

05

Record

Keep battery status, shipment information, exception decisions, isolation route and transport documentation tied to the physical item.

06

Train

Receiving, returns, packing and dangerous-goods personnel need clear responsibilities and exception routes, not just a document nobody uses.

Define the requirement

Ten inputs usually determine whether the answer is normal inventory control, a cabinet, isolation system, transport package or specialist review.

Partial information is fine. Do not open, dismantle or electrically test a battery simply to populate the assessment.

01

Product configuration

How is the battery presented?

Useful information
  • Battery alone
  • Packed with equipment
  • Contained in equipment
  • Operational warehouse battery
02

Battery identity

What is known technically?

Useful information
  • Manufacturer/model
  • Chemistry
  • Wh / voltage / Ah where relevant
  • UN number where applicable
03

Transport information

What documentation follows the shipment?

Useful information
  • Declared battery status
  • UN 38.3 test-summary availability where relevant
  • Packaging basis
  • Marks / labels / shipping papers
04

Condition

What is the current custody state?

Useful information
  • New / serviceable
  • Returned / opened / uncertain
  • Damaged / defective / recalled
  • End-of-life
05

Inventory scale

How much is present?

Useful information
  • Units / cartons / pallets
  • Peak inventory
  • Battery energy where known
  • Seasonal / growth peaks
06

Storage arrangement

How is it physically stored?

Useful information
  • Floor / shelf / rack
  • Palletised
  • High-pile / ASRS
  • Original retail packaging
07

Dwell / throughput

How long does the inventory remain?

Useful information
  • Cross-dock / hours
  • Days / weeks
  • Long-term stock
  • Return / quarantine dwell
08

Next movement

Where does it go after the warehouse?

Useful information
  • Internal transfer
  • Road / rail
  • Sea
  • Air / mixed carrier network
09

Operational batteries

What powers the warehouse itself?

Useful information
  • Scanners / radios / tools
  • Forklifts / AGVs / AMRs
  • Simultaneous charging demand
  • OEM charging architecture
10

Site response

What happens when status changes?

Useful information
  • Receiving / returns exception route
  • Isolation location
  • Alarm / out-of-hours response
  • EHS / DG / fire responsibility
Logistics requirement?Use the Guided Quote to keep battery status, inventory scale, warehouse flow and transport needs in one assessment.
Start the assessment
Compare warehouse arrangements

Storage, operational charging, internal handling and dangerous-goods transport need different equipment.

Compare the function first. A useful warehouse container is not automatically a shipping package, and a transport package is not automatically a charging solution.

01

Operational battery charging cabinet

Controlled charging for scanners, tools, radios and other removable batteries used to run the warehouse.

Can fit when

Battery families, simultaneous charging demand and charger compatibility are defined.

Resolve before selection

Electrical supply, outlets, energy/loading basis, monitoring and abnormal-battery route.

Explore charging →
02

Loose battery storage cabinet

Defined serviceable spares or smaller loose-battery inventory held separately from ordinary mixed goods.

Can fit when

Battery condition, energy/quantity, dimensions and intended storage duty match the product evidence.

Resolve before selection

Loading basis, packaging, ventilation/fire evidence, monitoring and site integration.

Explore storage →
03

Return / quarantine isolation system

Controlled temporary holding for batteries or battery-powered goods that have left the normal fulfilment route.

Can fit when

The product is intended for the battery condition and temporary stationary duty.

Resolve before selection

Battery size, condition, movement decision, containment basis, monitoring and final disposition.

Explore isolation →
04

Internal handling cart / container

Purpose-defined equipment for moving inventory, returns or abnormal batteries inside the facility.

Can fit when

Battery condition, payload, route and intended internal handling duty are defined.

Resolve before selection

Physical fit, payload, containment basis, handling method and distinction from external shipping approval.

05

Dangerous-goods transport packaging

Package systems supported for a specific battery condition, regulatory route and transport mode.

Can fit when

Battery identity, condition, dimensions, transport mode and applicable packing instruction are confirmed.

Resolve before selection

Exact approval/permit, absorbent/cushioning requirements, marks/documents, trained shipper and carrier acceptance.

Explore transport →
06

Engineered warehouse / dedicated battery area

Larger storage strategy for palletised, rack, ASRS or high-energy inventory beyond normal cabinet scale.

Can fit when

A fire engineer, insurer/AHJ and site team have defined the storage and protection basis.

Resolve before selection

Inventory, packaging, rack/high-pile arrangement, sprinklers, detection, separation, room/fire strategy and expansion.

Selection principleFunction first, equipment second.

The warehouse needs to know whether it is solving normal inventory control, operational charging, return triage, internal movement, external transport or bulk fire-protection engineering.

Movement changes the requirement

Internal warehouse movement and external dangerous-goods transport are separate capabilities.

A battery may move through receiving, QA, stores, returns and isolation before it ever enters a road, rail, sea or air transport route.

01

Internal movement

  • Receiving → stores
  • Returns → inspection
  • Inspection → quarantine
  • Warehouse → packing bench
  • Facility handling equipment and route
02

External transport

  • Road / rail / sea / air
  • Battery classification and condition
  • Approved / compliant packaging basis
  • Marks, documents and trained personnel
  • Carrier acceptance
03

Mode changes

  • Parcel networks can change mode
  • Air may have tighter restrictions
  • Damaged/defective routes can differ
  • Recycling routes can differ
  • Confirm the actual end-to-end journey
04

Information handoff

  • Correct battery status
  • Packaging configuration
  • Documentation
  • Destination / carrier
  • Exception history where relevant
Internal containment ≠ transport approval

A stationary or internal-handling system should not be represented as suitable for road, sea or air shipment unless the exact transport basis supports it.

Transport & handling guidance →
Monitoring & out-of-hours response

A warehouse may be lightly supervised long after the battery inventory remains in place.

Charging areas, returns quarantine and larger battery inventories should be considered alongside building detection, remote alarm capability, security, shift patterns and the site's emergency response.

01

Normal operating conditions

  • Ambient temperature
  • Charging heat
  • Storage / charger manufacturer limits
  • Ventilation function
  • Nearby combustibles and processes
02

Detection

  • Building alarm / sprinkler interface
  • Local enclosure sensors
  • Temperature / smoke / gas where supported
  • Alarm limitations
  • Exact product documentation
03

Remote response

  • Who receives the alarm?
  • 24/7 monitoring or security?
  • Can charging be de-energised?
  • Who can access the area?
  • What happens outside normal hours?
04

Post-event control

  • Keep affected goods out of normal inventory
  • Preserve incident/shipment information
  • Technical condition assessment
  • Isolation and disposition
  • Carrier / supplier notification where required
Before products are shortlisted

Logistics buyers need exact function, battery-condition and transport evidence.

Compare the intended use, supported condition, physical fit, energy/loading basis, transport status, monitoring, documentation and carrier/mode limitations of every candidate product.

01

Intended function

Storage, charging, internal handling, isolation or external transport.

02

Battery condition

Intact/serviceable, returned/uncertain, damaged/defective/recalled, prototype or end-of-life.

03

Product configuration

Battery alone, packed with equipment or contained in equipment.

04

Physical fit / payload

Internal dimensions, battery dimensions, weight, payload and required cushioning/fill materials.

05

Energy / containment basis

Exact tested/configured energy basis where the product claims stationary containment.

06

Transport basis

DOT / special permit / ADR or other exact transport basis, battery condition and supported modes.

07

Handling features

Reusable, stackable, palletised, forkliftable, casters, lift points or other warehouse-integration features.

08

Monitoring

Temperature, smoke, gas or other stated sensors and local/remote alarm capability where applicable.

09

Documentation

Manual, certificate/permit, packing instruction, datasheet, test report and user instructions.

10

Carrier limitations

Regulatory permission does not guarantee carrier acceptance. Current carrier and route restrictions must still be checked.

Standards & evidence distinctions

Transport and stationary evidence answer different questions.

Use the exact product claim and approval basis rather than treating “battery safe” or “UN tested” as universal permissions.

Evidence / statusWhat it can help establishWhat it does not automatically establishBattery Safe Systems use
UN 38.3 test summarySpecified transport testing of a cell/battery design typeThat a particular shipping package is approved or that a damaged battery may travel normallyBattery/product evidence input, not a packaging approval
UL 1487 where applicableDocumented performance of a stationary battery containment enclosure within its evaluated scopeExternal transport approval, carrier acceptance or whole-warehouse complianceStationary enclosure evidence only where the actual product/model carries the applicable certification
DOT / special permit / ADR transport basisSpecified packaging/transport route for a stated battery condition and jurisdictionStationary charging/storage performance or automatic acceptance by every carrier/modeMatch exact product to battery condition, route and jurisdiction
Carrier acceptanceWhether a specific carrier will accept the shipment under its current operating rulesRegulatory compliance by itselfFinal route check after regulatory/packaging basis is established
Evidence boundaryA shipping package, stationary cabinet and warehouse fire-protection system are different layers of control.

Use each evidence item only for the function and conditions it actually supports.

Location changes the regulatory / transport route

Warehouse storage, workplace charging and external transport sit under different regulatory layers.

The applicable combination depends on product configuration, battery condition, inventory scale, transport mode and jurisdiction.

United StatesIFC/local code · OSHA · PHMSA · FAA · AHJ

Warehouse battery inventory can receive different fire-code treatment depending on whether batteries are loose, installed in equipment or in original retail packaging and on locally adopted code provisions. External transport then falls under separate PHMSA/HMR requirements, with additional air-specific controls.

  • Confirm locally adopted IFC/fire-code treatment and applicable exceptions before applying warehouse battery thresholds.
  • Use OSHA/general workplace controls for operational battery charging and abnormal-battery handling.
  • Do not assume ordinary reverse-logistics exceptions cover lithium battery returns.
  • Confirm mode and carrier rules before air or parcel-network shipment.
PHMSA — lithium battery transportation
United KingdomFire-risk assessment · ADR / IMDG / air rules · competent DG process

UK warehouse battery controls should be integrated into the premises fire-risk assessment and operational safety process. External transport then follows the relevant dangerous-goods framework for road/rail, sea or air.

  • Use a competent fire-risk assessment for warehouses, with specialist input where the battery/storage arrangement is complex.
  • Separate normal retail inventory, returned/uncertain goods and damaged/defective batteries.
  • Use the correct dangerous-goods packaging instruction for battery condition and transport mode.
  • Do not treat ADR-based packaging as automatic US DOT or air-shipping approval.
UK Government — fire safety risk assessment for factories and warehouses
CanadaCCOHS · TDG · provincial/local requirements

Canadian warehouse operations should combine workplace charging controls with provincial/local fire and electrical requirements, while external battery transport follows Transport Canada's TDG framework.

  • Use manufacturer-compatible batteries/chargers and recognised Canadian electrical certification where applicable.
  • Keep damaged batteries out of ordinary charging and inventory routes.
  • Confirm TDG provisions for normal, damaged/defective and recycling battery shipments.
  • Damaged/defective lithium batteries can face transport-mode restrictions, including air prohibitions.
Transport Canada — transporting batteries
Worked logistics scenarios

Three logistics sites can handle lithium batteries in completely different ways.

These examples illustrate planning logic only. They are not product prescriptions or compliance determinations.

01

Ecommerce fulfilment centre

Thousands of battery-powered consumer products move through normal fulfilment, while a smaller stream of opened returns and damaged parcels comes back.

Likely priorities

Normal packaged stock versus returns, receiving exception process, returns triage, abnormal-battery isolation and carrier/mode checks.

Potential Battery Safe Systems role

Returns holding + isolation + operational charging + transport packaging guidance.

02

Multi-client 3PL

A third-party logistics operator holds loose batteries, battery-powered equipment and mixed client stock with road, sea and air destinations.

Likely priorities

Custody information, client declarations, battery condition, packaging basis, mode, trained dangerous-goods process and carrier acceptance.

Potential Battery Safe Systems role

Storage + isolation + internal handling + transport-packaging selection.

03

Multi-shift automated distribution centre

The site runs lithium forklifts, AGVs, scanners and maintenance tools while also processing customer returns.

Likely priorities

OEM motive-power charging remains separate; scanners/tools use controlled charging; returns follow triage; damaged batteries use central isolation.

Potential Battery Safe Systems role

Portable battery charging/storage + return isolation + incident / transport support.

Warehousing, logistics & distribution FAQ

Common questions before warehouse battery controls or transport products are selected.

These answers describe planning principles. Fire-code/AHJ interpretation, dangerous-goods classification, carrier requirements and exact product evidence still need to be checked.

Does every warehouse containing lithium batteries fall under the same battery-storage rules?

No. Product configuration, packaging, battery condition, quantity and locally adopted fire-code provisions can change the treatment. Battery-powered retail goods and loose battery stock should not automatically be treated as identical.

Is every customer return a damaged or defective battery?

No. A return may remain serviceable, may need technical review, or may be abnormal. Use a defined triage process rather than automatically restocking it or automatically treating it as damaged.

Can returned lithium batteries use ordinary reverse-logistics shipping rules in the US?

Do not assume so. Lithium cells and batteries can remain subject to the applicable hazardous-material lithium-battery provisions even when they are moving through a returns process.

Does UN 38.3 mean a package is approved for shipping?

No. UN 38.3 addresses testing of lithium cell/battery design types. The shipping package, battery condition, packing instruction, marks/documents, mode and carrier requirements are separate.

Can a container used to move batteries inside the warehouse also be used for road or air transport?

Not automatically. Internal handling and external dangerous-goods transport are separate capabilities. Use the exact transport approval/permit and packing basis for the shipment.

Can lithium forklift or AGV batteries be charged in a generic battery cabinet?

Do not assume so. Modern motive-power systems often integrate the vehicle, lithium battery and charger. Follow the OEM/fleet-energy charging architecture first.

Can Battery Safe Systems specify protection for an ASRS full of lithium batteries?

Not as a normal cabinet-selection exercise. High-pile, rack or ASRS battery inventory may require specialist warehouse fire-protection engineering, insurer/loss-prevention and AHJ review. Battery Safe Systems can support the equipment functions that strategy identifies.

If regulations permit a shipment, will the carrier definitely accept it?

No. Carriers can impose additional restrictions. Confirm current carrier, route and mode acceptance before shipping.

What should happen if a returned battery is hot, swollen, smoking or venting?

That is no longer an ordinary returns or product-selection task. Follow the site's emergency process and emergency-service instructions rather than treating the item as normal warehouse stock.

Start with custody, condition and next movement

Tell us what is in the warehouse, what condition it is in and where it needs to go next.

Provide what you know about product/battery configuration, quantity, packaging, returns status, warehouse arrangement, operational charging, internal handling and external transport requirements.

Product + battery identity Known / uncertain / abnormal Warehouse scale + flow Next mode / carrier / route
Start the Guided Quote Partial information is fine. Do not open, dismantle, electrically test or move an actively deteriorating battery solely to obtain information for this assessment.