This recommended practice provides recommended design practices and procedures for storage, location, mounting, ventilation, instrumentation, preassembly, assembly, and charging of vented lead-acid batteries. Required safety practices are also included. This recommended practice is applicable to full-float stationary applications where a battery charger normally maintains the battery fully charged and supplies the direct current (dc) loads. However, specific applications, such as emergency lighting units, semiportable equipment, and alternate energy applications, may have other appropriate practices that are beyond the scope of this recommended practice. The portions of this recommended practice that specifically relate to personnel safety are mandatory instructions and are designated by the word shall; however, all other portions are recommended practices and are designated by the word should. Sizing, maintenance, capacity testing, charging equipment, dry-charged units, and consideration of other types of batteries are beyond the scope of this recommended practice.