Ratchet strap melts causing batteries to become loose

What happened?

During maintenance, workers discovered the ratchet strap used to secure an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) batteries was loose

Technicians noticed that part of the nylon strap had melted, which is what caused it to become loose.

A technician removed the strap to find the battery terminal cover was not on the terminals.

The casing was discovered underneath the battery housing.

The battery terminal cover had worked itself loose during transit from the manufacturer to site

This allowed the metal part of the ratchet strap to make a connection between both terminals creating a current

This resulted in a portion of the nylon ratchet strap to melt, which in turn allowed it to become loose.

The supplier stated that the design was changed from ratchets to securing bars to prevent movement

The ratchet strap was also found to have been incorrectly installed

The supplier will now ensure that the ratchet strap will not be installed for future cabinets.

What would you do differently if you came across this situation?

Why is it important to check in electrical cabinets when components are delivered?

What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?

How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?

What happened?

During maintenance, workers discovered the ratchet strap used to secure an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) batteries was loose
Technicians noticed that part of the nylon strap had melted, which is what caused it to become loose.
A technician removed the strap to find the battery terminal cover was not on the terminals.
The casing was discovered underneath the battery housing.
Why did it happen?

The battery terminal cover had worked itself loose during transit from the manufacturer to site
This allowed the metal part of the ratchet strap to make a connection between both terminals creating a current
This resulted in a portion of the nylon ratchet strap to melt, which in turn allowed it to become loose.
What did they learn?

The supplier stated that the design was changed from ratchets to securing bars to prevent movement
The ratchet strap was also found to have been incorrectly installed
The supplier will now ensure that the ratchet strap will not be installed for future cabinets.
Ask yourself or your crew

What would you do differently if you came across this situation?
Why is it important to check in electrical cabinets when components are delivered?
What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?
How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?