The best way to prevent lithium-ion battery fires is to make sure that battery handling and storage areas are safe and that staff are trained and work properly.
- Identify and understand the risks. A building fire starting from a lithium-ion battery is very dangerous for workers and customers.
- Do not attempt to open batteries or remove a battery that is permanently installed in an appliance unless you know what you are doing. If you work with lithium-ion batteries, always think before you start: can the battery catch fire? If it does, what do I do?
- Be aware that a lithium-ion battery can cause a fire. Handle batteries according to these instructions. In particular, do not leave unknown batteries lying around! Assess the risk and take the battery to the right place for storage.
- Never put lithium-ion batteries or other batteries in rubbish bins.
- Find out where your workplace’s initial extinguishing equipment is located and how to deal with a battery fire. Good initial extinguishing equipment includes steel containers with lids, fire blankets and water.
- Attend lithium-ion battery fire extinguishing training, if available, and read the building’s emergency plan to find out what to do in the event of a battery fire and where the evacuation routes are.
