Protect sufficiently without regulations

The easiest way would be to gather and write down the set of regulations relating to lithium batteries. But what if there are no existing regulations for battery storage? This is precisely the problem: there are no public regulations for the storage of lithium batteries. Nor is it foreseeable that these will be around in the near future. In the meantime, it is well known that lithium batteries can pose significant risks in handling, charging and storage and is also more than clear from the enormous number of incidents of damage.

Cause of fire No. 1 Mechanical damage

Fall, crushing, water ingress

Cause of fire No. 2 Overload

Incorrect installation, Battery Management System (BMS) fault, incorrect charger

Cause of fire No. 3 Manufacturing fault

Quality defect, cheap components

Cause of fire No. 4 Deep discharge during

Winter break, Overload, BMS fault

Cause of fire No. 5 Incorrect application

Operating error, incorrect stockholding (no FIFO), wrong charger

Cause of fire No. 6 Thermal load

Overheating, Solar radiation, external heat source, heat build-up

Safe storage and handling

Damage or improper handling of lithium batteries is not harmless and can quickly have dramatic consequences. In addition to compliance with safety rules, we recommend the CEMO products specially developed for this purpose for safe storage.

Safety policy:

- Protection against short-circuit of the battery poles
- Protection against mechanical damage
- Proper professional disposal of damaged products
- No permanent, direct exposure to high temperatures
- Separate storage
- etc

Battery charging cabinet

Facilities:

  • charging multiple lithium batteries in the cabinet
  • Early alerting in the event of damage
  • all relevant safety rules for charging lithium batteries are adhered to
  • ideal for separating batteries in charging process from the stored stock
Further product information

Battery safety cabinet FWF90

Facilities:

  • Safety cabinet according to DIN EN 14470
  • Automatic closing doors in the event of fire
  • monolithic fire protection panels
  • optional cable ducting
  • available in three sizes
Further product information

Battery safety cabinet Pro FWF90

Facilities:

  • special door locking technology
  • sophisticated protection mechanisms in the event of battery fire
  • Optional central partition per shelf
  • Charging version possible with power strip
  • several sizes available
Further product information

Battery safety barrel

Facilities:

  • for storage, collection and transport
  • approval with explicit mention of lithium batteries
  • 60 litres clamping ring lid barrel
  • special valve for pressure relief in case of damage
  • for the use of vermiculite as a buffer material
Further product information

Collection container

Features of steel collection container:

  • 120 litre capacity
  • robust, hot-dip galvanized steel container
  • robust latches
  • for use with vermiculite & expanded glass granules
  • forkliftable, craneable and stackabler
     

Features of plastic collection containers:

  • UN-approved packaging with Y-coding
  • light weight
  • for use with vermiculite & expanded glass granules
  • available in two sizes
Further product information

Storage regulations

There are currently no public regulations for the storage of lithium batteries. However this is never to be understood as a "licence to do nothing".

According to the regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Lithium batteries are “products” and therefore by definition not “hazardous substances”. However, everyone would agree: lithium batteries within a business should be treated and stored as a hazardous substance.

The performance classification of lithium batteries has a significant impact on the storage of lithium batteries: low, medium and high performance. Insurance companies have written recommendations which are considered to be equivalent to regulations, and equally binding.

Transport regulations

Lithium batteries have been officially classified as Class 9 Dangerous Goods (various hazardous substances and objects) since 2009. And that's a good thing!

The legislator has created a special provision for small lithium batteries (<100Wh) by special regulation 188 in the ADR for example power banks, mobile phones or laptop batteries. Their transport does not fall under certain conditions under the considerably more complicated transport of dangerous goods of larger batteries.

Expert Opinions

"What was not an issue a few years ago has now established itself as a typical cause of damage. With the number of lithium batteries, the number of fires is also increasing."

IFS - Institute for Damage Prevention and Damage Research e.V. quotes: Dr. Hans-Hermann Drews (Managing Director)

"However, there is no generally valid protection concept, especially when storing batteries. Therefore, the correct fire protection concept must always be discussed on a case-by-case basis and clarified with the insurer."

Dr. jur. Wolfram Krause, Managing Director of bvfa – Federal Association of Technical Fire Protection

"Lithium batteries must in principle be treated as a hazardous substance."

GDV – The German Insurance Industry Association

 "In the sense of effective damage prevention, conventional protection concepts with classic measures are available in the field of lithium batteries, which have proven themselves in the handling and storage of fire-hazardous substances."

Dr. Michael Buser, Dr. Jochen Mähliß