Lithium-ion batteries have made a great contribution to our consumer convenience. However, as with all electrical devices, they must be used responsibly to avoid unfortunate incidents. City of Berkeley, California continues to be plagued by lithium battery fires. So they published a number of lithium-ion battery safety tips to involve stakeholders in their solution.
Berkley’s Tips For Lithium-ion Battery Safety
Most battery fires in Berkeley involve e-scooters, e-skateboards, and the occasional e-bike. This is in line with the national trend for these incidents, and confirms the need to take these simple precautions:
- Only use the original manufacturer’s charger, batteries, and replacements.
- Stop charging as soon as the battery charger indicates the batteries are full.
- Never leave this equipment unattended while the charging is in progress.
- Never expose your batteries to extreme heat, cold or flammable items.
- Never try to charge a battery that is swollen, dented or otherwise damaged.
You should be able to avoid these problems, if you follow this lithium-ion battery safety advice. However – and this is very important – substandard lithium-ion batteries are flooding US markets, and are more susceptible to overheating and catching fire.
What To Do If a Lithium-Ion Battery Shows Warning Signs
Act quickly if a lithium-ion battery starts overheating during charging. Disconnect the power source, and leave the room while it cools down. Do not attempt to recover the situation if there is a battery fire. Evacuate the area and call emergency 911.
“Electric bikes, scooters, and other devices are important to building sustainable transportation in our community,” says Berkeley Fire Chief Dave Sprague. “As these and other devices become an increasing part of our lives, we also want to be smart in how we use, and take care of them.”
That is good advice, and well taken by smart battery users. We unpick these tips in further detail in our next post, because we want all battery users to stay safe.
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