Warnings and instructions

Warnings and instructions tell the holder of a battery how to use, charge, store, transport, and handle the battery safely, and what to do when something goes wrong. The instructions must match the battery model, the chemistry, and the intended use, and must be written in clear language that the intended holder can understand. The record must hold the instruction version, the date, the languages supplied, and the distribution route, whether the instructions accompany the battery in print, in electronic form, or both, as the Regulation and the product rules require. A warning that is present in the file but never reaches the holder has not warned anyone. The checker should compare the instruction text with the label and the safety file, line by line.

Warnings mean statements that draw attention to a hazard and the action needed to avoid harm. Instructions mean the directions for safe use, charging, storage, and handling. The scope is the battery model and intended holder stated.

What is the legal frame for this marking?

Warnings and instructions is a physical marking duty and a record duty at the same time. A technical writer issuing instructions for an LMT battery should work from the current consolidated text and check whether an implementing act on harmonised label specifications has entered into force, since Article 13 sets some dates by reference to that act. Instructions for an e-bike battery should state the approved charger, the charging environment, the storage temperature range, and the action if the battery is damaged, swollen, or hot, in the language of the holder.

How are content, placement, and legibility checked?

Content asks whether every required element for warnings and instructions is present and correct for the battery category. The instruction text, version record, and distribution log should include a photograph or a retained sample label, the artwork version, and the approval date, tied to the battery model. Instructions for batteries incorporated in appliances, vehicles, or equipment must be consistent with the instructions for the host product, and a conflict between the two sets of instructions should be resolved and recorded before sale.

How does category decide content?

Category decides content. For warnings and instructions, the record should state the category as defined in Article 3, list the label elements that apply to that category, and list the elements that do not apply, with the reason. A technical writer issuing instructions for an LMT battery should be careful where a battery could fall into more than one description, and should record the reasoning for the category chosen. Instructions for an e-bike battery should state the approved charger, the charging environment, the storage temperature range, and the action if the battery is damaged, swollen, or hot, in the language of the holder.

How are measurement and wording recorded?

For warnings and instructions, a capacity value, a chemistry statement, or a duration value should name the test method, the conditions, and the unit, so the same battery tested again gives a comparable result. The instruction text, version record, and distribution log should include the test report or the calculation sheet, the date, and the person or function that approved the value. Instructions for batteries incorporated in appliances, vehicles, or equipment must be consistent with the instructions for the host product, and a conflict between the two sets of instructions should be resolved and recorded before sale.

What sits behind the marking in the documentation?

For warnings and instructions, the declaration should identify the battery, the Regulation, and the conformity assessment procedure followed, and the technical documentation should support each marked claim. A technical writer issuing instructions for an LMT battery should check that the declaration date, the battery model, and the marking version are consistent, and that a change to the battery that affects conformity leads to a review of the documentation. Instructions for an e-bike battery should state the approved charger, the charging environment, the storage temperature range, and the action if the battery is damaged, swollen, or hot, in the language of the holder.

How is a marking checked line by line?

For warnings and instructions, a checker should compare the physical marking, the QR code destination, the passport entry where a passport applies, the declaration of conformity, and the technical documentation, line by line, and record each comparison with a pass, a fail, or a query. The instruction text, version record, and distribution log for the check should include the date, the sample identifier, and the version of each document compared. A technical writer issuing instructions for an LMT battery should keep failed checks on file with the corrective action, the new artwork or record version, and the recheck date. Instructions for batteries incorporated in appliances, vehicles, or equipment must be consistent with the instructions for the host product, and a conflict between the two sets of instructions should be resolved and recorded before sale.

How are instructions tested with a real holder?

Testing instructions with a real holder means giving the instruction text to a person who will use the battery, in the language and format supplied, and asking that person to find the charging, storage, and fault actions without help. A worked test shows the holder, the instruction version, the tasks set, and whether each task was completed correctly. If the holder cannot find the fault action, or confuses two chargers, the instruction text is revised, the version is raised, and the test is repeated. The test record is filed with the instruction version, so a later instruction change can be judged against the test that the previous version passed. An instruction that has never been tested with a holder is an untested instruction, however clear it looks in the file.

An instruction is complete only when it reaches the holder in usable form, and a file copy alone does not prove that the holder received it.