External and Internal Protection Required for Safety and Compliance.
Lithium batteries should be stored in cabinets with fire-resistance from the outside and inside.
External fire resistance can help to delay or prevent lithium batteries inside a cabinet from overheating. In combination with internal fire-resistance and alarm-forwarding, it helps to ensure vital time for evacuation and for fire crews to arrive.
Lithium batteries – such as those found in vapes – have the potential to self-propagate, requiring storage cabinets with internal resistance in order to contain a fire. Equally crucial is external fire resistance, in order to prevent the batteries from being exposed to overheating and potentially adding significantly to the fire load. Compliant storage is essential in order to protect people and mitigate risk, says leading manufacturer, asecos.
Lithium batteries do not behave like conventional combustibles. Overheating is just one of the factors that can cause them to enter ‘thermal runaway’, a reaction that can generate extreme temperatures, flammable toxic gases and potential explosions. During thermal runaway the batteries can generate their own oxygen and re-ignition is common.
In the UK, the applicable safety standards for storing and charging lithium batteries that are desirable as a minimum should be:
- BS EN 14470-1 the standard for 90-minute fire resistance from the outside-in
- BS EN 1363-1 inside to outside fire resistance test
In addition, safety professionals should look for VDMA 24994, a test which specifically assesses the fire safety performance of lithium battery storage and charging cabinets, in the event of thermal runaway.
“Lithium battery storage must be designed to protect in both directions, inside out and outside in,” said Les Day, Commercial Director at asecos. “Thermal runaway can result in dangerous explosions as well as toxic gases. The devastating effects can be massively disproportionate to expectations.
“Focusing on only one aspect of fire resistance leaves a dangerous gap in safety. True protection means preventing a battery fire from spreading outward, as well as shielding the batteries from external fire exposure.”
For further information, please visit: www.asecos.co.uk
Images
Caption: A lithium battery cabinet after a factory fire
Credit: asecos GmbH
Contact person
| asecos Limited.Zoe BoswardTel. +44 (0)1332 982 043E-Mail: [email protected] |
Notes to Editors
asecos GmbHFounded in 1994, asecos GmbH, Europe’s leading manufacturer of safety storage cabinets, offers high-quality products and intelligent solutions for handling hazardous substances – both inside and outside buildings. asecos Limited is its subsidiary for the UK and Ireland. The broad product portfolio includes safety cabinets for hazardous substances and pressurised gas cylinder cabinets in accordance with BS EN 14470-1/-2, as well as hazardous substance workstations, extraction systems and much more. In addition, asecos develops innovative product solutions for the safe storage and charging of lithium-ion batteries. Comprehensive maintenance packages are provided to complete the range of services. The headquarters and manufacturing site of asecos GmbH are in Gruendau, Germany. Worldwide, asecos is also represented by subsidiaries in the Netherlands, France, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the USA, as well as by selected partner companies worldwide. For further i
