Good point. It is very important that there be no chance that the clamp will eat a hole into the insulation and create the very same short I am seeking to avoid.
When I worked in a gas station in my youth, there were several occasions when a car pulled in and we could smell the sulpher-smell (rotten eggs) of an actively cooking battery. But, I never saw one blow. Again, I'm not disputing that it can happen -- I'm certain that it can -- I've just never experienced the thrill (sic).