Industry support for electrical safety campaign on lithium-ion battery regulation

More than 85 organisations have lent their support to Electrical Safety First’s campaign, which calls for new laws to regulate lithium-ion batteries.

The batteries, which are used in electric cars, e-scooters and e-bikes, have been linked with what the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) have called an “alarming rise” of fires with “devastating consequences”.

Lithium-ion battery fires often result in thermal runaway events – an extremely dangerous type of fire where a battery is punctured, impacted or crushed. Once the battery is damaged in this way, it can rapidly overheat, release toxic gases and explode.

Fran McCloskey, Chief Executive Officer of the CIEH, said:

“We are delighted to join key partners in supporting Electrical Safety First’s Battery Breakdown Campaign and look forward to working alongside them to minimise the devastating consequences of lithium-ion battery fires.

“We are ready to support the Government with the development of changes to safety regulations. Given Environmental Health Practitioner’s knowledge of public health and safety, housing and air quality, our members bring a holistic expertise to this conversation.

“CIEH will continue to support and advocate for improvements to legislation that will ensure safer, cleaner, healthier environments for all.”

CIEH’s support follows Electrical Safety First’s report, ‘Battery Breakdown’ on their own research into the safety of electric vehicles, specifically e-bikes and e-scooters.

‘Battery Breakdown’ points to the ready availability of sub-standard mains chargers for e-bikes and e-scooters, which are one of the leading causes of lithium-ion battery fires.

Nearly 60 listings from major retailers like Amazon, eBay, Wish and AliExpress, were investigated. Researchers identified each listing as selling a non-approved charger. Many of these chargers did not have fuses, meaning they could not cut off electricity in the event of a fault – a serious fire risk.

The National Fire Chiefs Council have advised:

“Always use the manufacturer approved charger for the product, and if you spot any signs of wear and tear or damage, buy an official replacement charger for your product from a reputable seller.”

Electrical Safety First has created a draft Bill, which would mandate third-party certification for lithium-ion batteries, as a matter of safety compliance. The batteries themselves would be classified as high-risk, and tighter regulations imposed on the use, functionality and design of e-bikes and e-scooters.

The Bill would also regulate the safe disposal of used lithium batteries, to minimise the risk of devastating landfill fires and harmful air pollution.

Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First said:

“The increasing number of fires caused by e-bike and e-scooter batteries shows how urgently we need news laws to tackle this issue. We’re thrilled to have the support from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and over 85 national organisations across the country.

“Their involvement is pivotal in tackling this deadly issue and bringing about improved safety measures.”

A survey by UK fire safety company Firechief Global revealed that of 22% of their respondents were not very confident in their knowledge of how to dispose of batteries safely.

For six years, Firechief Global has been pushing for education and legislation on lithium-ion batteries. Senior Technical Consultant Matt Humby described the thermal runaway events caused by lithium-ion batteries as a ‘mini hand grenade’:

“It is brilliant that 85 companies are supporting the campaign, but we should have all the insurance companies and major retailers backing it, everyone should in my opinion,” Matt said. There are three main problems with lithium-ion batteries – which in general are safe and we can’t stop using them – but potentially fatal risks are there.

“The problems arise when there are defective batteries, ones with defects from the manufacturer or  poor quality components. It is rare, but we have seen it and there needs to be a recall in a timely manner.

“Another problem is misuse and abuse of batteries, people treat them in an unsafe way when actually they are like a mini hand grenade holding a huge amount of power and there needs to be education around this.

“And that’s education from a school level, more awareness of the dangers of throwing batteries away and education on the importance of using regulated chargers instead of cheaper unregulated ones you can buy, as the consequences can be devastating. And the final problem is unsafe and unregulated batteries. We shouldn’t be allowing modification of battery packs – like the supercharge e-scooters – to happen.

“Education on these points is the first step so the batteries can be charged in the correct manner and disposed of safely, then there is the fact this should be part of a fire safety risk assessment – which currently is not – and legislation is an important step.”

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