SafetyModule 3 of 7

Battery, Pneumatics, and Electrical Safety

The three energy systems that make an FRC robot powerful — and dangerous if mishandled. Learn to handle, charge, and dispose of batteries; operate a pneumatic system safely; and respect the robot's electrical system.

Battery, Pneumatics, and Electrical Safety is module 3 of 7 in the Safety guide. It picks up where PPE and Shop Safety left off and hands over to Events, Robot Handling, and Your Team Safety Program. Its 4 lessons are about 71 minutes of the guide's ~10 hours.

4 lessons~71 min28 lessons in this guide

Start with lesson 1 All of Safety

In this module

4 lessons

01Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) Battery SafetyHandle, charge, inspect, and dispose of the FRC 12V SLA battery without acid burns, fires, or short-circuit hazards.20 min read

02Lithium-Ion Battery SafetyAvoid thermal runaway in the lithium-ion packs used in laptops, drills, and accessories around your team.15 min read

03Pneumatics System SafetyUnderstand the FRC pneumatic circuit's pressure limits and components so you can build, vent, and service it safely.18 min read

04Robot Electrical SafetyRespect the robot's electrical system and your shop's power: de-energize properly, avoid shorts and overloads, and inspect wiring.18 min read

Previous modulePPE and Shop Safety

Next moduleEvents, Robot Handling, and Your Team Safety Program

Longer reads

Articles that go deeper on this

FRC Pneumatics: How to Design, Wire, and Program a Pneumatic SystemComplete FRC pneumatics guide: components, the REV Pneumatic Hub vs PCM, single vs double solenoids, safe wiring, WPILib programming, and the 60/120 psi limits.9 min read

All 7 modules in Safety

Department overview

01Foundations: A Culture of Safety and the People Who Lead It3
02PPE and Shop Safety3
03Battery, Pneumatics, and Electrical Safety4
04Events, Robot Handling, and Your Team Safety Program3
05Safety Worked Examples & Mini-Projects5
06Common Safety Mistakes & Troubleshooting5
07Advanced Safety Engineering & Case Studies5