National Fire Protection Association Holds Workshop on Lithium ion Battery Hazards
The Fire Protection Research Foundation hosted a workshop on lithium ion battery storage protection strategies in Baltimore, Maryland on August 30th. In preparation for that meeting, the Foundation released a 112-page study of the hazards associated with lithium ion battery storage, with an aim of developing fire protection strategies to mitigate loss associated with fire incidence with lithium ion batteries in bulk storage and distribution, alone and in manufactured products.
The Foundation’s overall aim is to develop the technical basis for requirements in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and other standards which prescribe protection requirements.
The first phase of the project, described in the report, is a literature review of battery technology, failure modes and events, usage, codes and standards, and a hazard assessment during the life cycle of storage and distribution. It also lays out a research approach toward evaluating appropriate facility fire protection strategies.
A copy of the report is available online at http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/ Research/RFLithiumIonBatteriesHazard.pdf.