Addressing some of the safety concerns with Lithium-Ion-batteries

From powering vehicles to providing energy storage solutions, large lithium-based batteries are increasing in a wide range of industries and applications. These battery systems can introduce new, significant hazards that must be controlled correctly in the workplace. Due to the increased interest and development of the technology of batteries, any type of incident will draw interest in the media. From burning (and in some cases reigniting) car fires to the injuries incurred by vape devices exploding there are lots of devices that can draw in the media’s eye with safety risks.

Lithium-ion battery failures can often occur as a result of imperfections in the construction of the cell or through abuse. Abuse of cells, packs or modules can be caused by impact, such as dropping or collisions in transit, piercing from tooling, shorting, over charging and being exposed to higher or lower temperatures than those that the battery is designed for. Once a battery has been damaged it may take some time to develop symptoms such as swelling or heating but these symptoms can create extreme safety risks once present.

Lithium-ion batteries can react in a variety of different ways depending on the type of fault, the area that is damaged, the state of charge and the chemistry of the affected battery. It has been difficult to consistently predict the same failure behaviour of a cell, even in laboratory conditions.

• Damaged cells may vent / smoke without ignition.
• Fires may occur when the electrolyte ignites.
• A jet of flame and burning material being ejected from a single point can create a flare.
• The battery may burn or create a fireball, depending on the failure mode.
• The battery may also explode.

So what can we do?

• Correct storage and protection of batteries are vital to reduce the risk of damage, that’s where Lithium Battery Recycling Solutions come in. we have all the necessary dangerous goods transportation licences and specialist vehicles that are fully equipped to move used batteries between facilities. Our team of experts can prepare the batteries for transportation, package them safely, and ensure they get to their end destination with minimal risk.

• If you are using batteries on-site, then you need to be aware of what to do when you no longer need them. There are special requirements that need to be followed for waste batteries and they should not be mixed with other waste. Lithium Battery Recycling Solutions have all the required licensing and experts in place to assist you with safely handling any one-off requirements.

• Our experts can provide a full consultancy service with help and advice on all aspects of lithium-ion battery storage, transportation and recycling. With specialists in lithium battery dismantling and our very own state of the art workshop, we have all the required tools and facilities to safely discharge and dismantle used and damaged batteries to extract as many re-usable cells as possible.