The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 mandates fire safety in non-domestic premises. The Responsible Person (RRP) must ensure fire safety and protect staff and visitors, including conducting a fire risk assessment by a qualified person to evaluate potential hazards including the management and safety of Lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion Batteries.
A growing fire risk.
What can go wrong?
At a certain point, the chemical reaction triggers thermal runaway, causing rapid overheating and affecting nearby cells. Batteries can ignite spontaneously, burning at intense temperatures of 700–1000°C and releasing hazardous gases that, in confined spaces, may lead to a flammable vapor cloud explosion (VCE).
Key Precautions include:
- Use only original equipment and chargers from reputable manufacturers.
- Regularly inspect batteries for damage; never use damaged or defective batteries.
- Ensure batteries are not in contact with conductive materials and avoid overcharging by trained staff.
- Store and handle batteries in dry, cool, well-ventilated areas, free of humidity, flammable materials, and sharp objects.
- Train staff on emergency procedures for damaged batteries, emphasising fire safety with Lithium-ion batteries.
- Store unused batteries in metal storage cabinets or fireproof bags.
- Designate storage areas exclusively for Lithium-ion batteries and minimize their size.
- Reduce the risk of thermal runaway by lowering the State of Charge (SOC) of batteries and devices.
Be Prepared
Specialist fire extinguishers for just this type of fire are available, called Lith-Ex fire extinguishers, and they use AVD (Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion). These units produce a mist of special chemicals that eventually coat the battery cells, preventing more oxygen from reaching the source of the ignition.
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