Lithium Battery Aircraft Incidents Now One Per Week
Lithium-ion batteries overheating incidents on aircraft are now being reported once per week on average, as they continue to pose a major airline safety risk.
The batteries that power our everyday items, are often now likened to a tank of gasoline or a bullet in a gun as they all contain significant amounts of energy. If released unintentionally, they can lead to a fire or even an explosion.
The upside of lithium batteries is their high energy density (high power for less weight), but the downside is they can catch fire, or trigger explosions, if damaged or if battery terminals are short-circuited.
When transported by air, they pose a major safety risk. As a result, strict regulations and safety measures are in place, updated each year, to ensure air travel safety.
Lithium batteries are classified as dangerous goods class 9 and IATA’s latest guideline says “Most people are not aware that lithium batteries are dangerous goods that can pose a safety risk if not prepared in accordance with the transport regulations.”
It is believed that many businesses involved in the movement of products that include lithium batteries are either not aware of, or chose to ignore, the dangers associated with the product. The airline industry is fearful that this lack of understanding could lead to a major disaster in the not to distant future.
Evolution specialise in the detailed control measures needed to move and store products with lithium batteries both domestically and internationally. During the logistics process, specialist packing, marking and labeling is needed, along with segregation from other dangerous goods products.
