Hazardous-material storage specialist Asecos has published a series of lithium battery safety guides addressing the risks encountered in 13 industrial and public-sector settings.
The guides cover aviation, construction, data centres, defence, facilities and manufacturing, golf, greenkeeping, healthcare, logistics, marine, police, railways and universities.
Asecos said the ways lithium-ion batteries are used, charged and stored differ considerably between sectors. The guides are intended to help organisations assess their risks, review operating procedures and consider the measures required to protect employees, property and business continuity.
The publication comes amid a rise in lithium-ion battery incidents in the UK. According to figures from business insurer QBE, fire brigades are now attending an average of 4.8 lithium battery fires a day.
Lithium-ion battery fires can escalate rapidly through thermal runaway and may release flammable and toxic gases, as well as presenting an explosion risk. Appropriate procedures for charging, storage, inspection and handling can therefore be critical, particularly where organisations manage large numbers of batteries or depend on battery-powered equipment.
Asecos developed the expanded series following demand for its earlier guides for the defence and healthcare sectors.
Les Day, commercial director at Asecos, said: “Lithium batteries are part of everyday operations across an enormous range of industries, but the way they are used – and the consequences if something goes wrong – can be very different.
“Fires from lithium-ion batteries can develop extremely quickly, release toxic gases and potentially lead to explosions. That makes appropriate charging, storage and operating procedures vital.
“The popularity of our initial lithium battery guides for defence and healthcare showed us that people want practical information that relates directly to their own working environment rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. We have therefore expanded the series so that more organisations can access guidance tailored to the equipment, situations and operational challenges they encounter.”
Day said each guide was designed to help those responsible for fire, health and safety consider the lithium battery risks within their organisation and introduce appropriate protective measures.
The guides can be downloaded from the Asecos website.
Photo: an AI-generated image supplied by Asecos GmbH
