Working in logistics? Then most likely you are either directly or indirectly involved in the transport of lithium batteries. Due to the high number of incidents in recent years there is now more understanding as to why these batteries must be seen as being dangerous goods. There is much more awareness now for the fact that legislation is necessary for safe transport whereby business operations have to be modified.

The lithium battery phenomenon has been a recurring element in our air cargo training courses for years. However in the road and sea transport sectors, the dangerous properties of lithium batteries are less well known resulting in discussion and ignorance of the regulations for these modes of transport. \

If a company wants to start handling lithium batteries a number of regulations come into play that need to be properly identified by the company in the preparatory phase. Some of the questions companies should ask themselves and provide answers for are:

• May we store lithium batteries at this location?
• What mode of transport will we be using?
• What courses do our employees have to follow?
• Are correct working instructions available for our staff?
• How does our insurer feel about the possible presence of dangerous goods at our location?

Thermal Runaway
Lithium batteries can, either due to a production error or by damage, go into a so-called “Thermal Runaway”.
When this happens the internal energy of the battery is freed which can result in the battery igniting, often in combination with flare-ups and explosions. Toxic fumes may also be released. Putting out these fires is still incredibly challenging.

Read the full article in Cargo Magazine on page 56

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