Addressing fire safety concerns around lithium-ion batteries

CROSS-UK publishes paper for designers, engineers, fire services and facility managers

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in devices and applications such as smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles. They offer many advantages including high energy density, long lifespan, and perceived environmental friendliness.

However, these batteries also pose significant fire hazards. It is thus crucial for all stakeholders to understand these risks and take appropriate safety measures.
Proper risk management can help reduce the likelihood and impact of fires and explosions in contexts such as homes, workplaces and car parks.

Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures UK (CROSS-UK) has published a paper highlighting the fire and explosion hazards associated with the use of lithium-ion batteries in the built environment.

The paper is aimed at:

• Owners and occupiers of facilities where lithium-ion battery technology may be prevalent, or planned for the future
• Fire engineers
• Structural engineers
• Local authorities and building control bodies
• Developers, building surveyors and architects
• Facilities managers and maintenance organisations
• Fire and rescue services, and all other first responders including the police and ambulance service.

CROSS says: “Lithium-ion batteries, integral to modern technology, pose significant fire hazards due to a phenomenon called thermal runaway. This self-sustaining reaction can lead to large scale fires or explosions and is triggered by factors like overcharging, short circuiting, and overheating.

“These fires are challenging to control as the batteries are often inaccessible to suppressants, and they produce flammable and toxic vapours, can reignite due to residual heat, and react violently with common extinguishing agents.”

To mitigate these risks, CROSS recommends measures such as the use of a battery management system (BMS), installation of gas and fire detection and suppression systems, safe storage and disposal practices, adequate ventilation, regular inspection and maintenance, and proper emergency procedures are vital.

CROSS says: “By understanding these risks and implementing appropriate measures, the likelihood and impact of such fires can be reduced, improving both the safety of people and the environment.

“It is critically important that those with responsibilities for designing, constructing and managing aspects of the built environment, keep their knowledge of this evolving technology up to date.”