Risk Mitigation of Lithium Batteries and Drones
Thursday 27th April 2017
Regular media reports of exploding mobiles or e-cigarettes – even the near-miss of a drone with a passenger plane – are becoming commonplace. Electrical Safety First's recent industry seminar discussed risk mitigation of lithium batteries and drones.
The first session - with a panel comprised of Dr. Jeremy Opperer, Senior Manager, Exponent International and Steve Beaman, UK General Manager, LG Electronics - focused on lithium ion batteries.
The discussion highlighted the design and operation of these batteries and considered how and why they can fail. Key points raised during the session included the importance of battery charger compatibility and issues around lithium batteries’ safe transportation. This is particularly the case when transporting them by air, where a catastrophic explosion could arise if a single cell were to catch fire and destabilize nearby batteries to create a thermal runaway. A call for better quality data on incidents caused by lithium-Ion batteries gained overwhelming approval from the audience.
In the second session, the panellists - Ray Jeffries, Regional Engineering Director, Intertek, and Andrew Gordon, Managing Director, CE Compliance Solutions - considered concerns around drones. The discussion reviewed the current legislative and standards framework on drones and the safety concerns arising.
No longer simply a military ‘tool’, drones are used in a range of professions, from surveying to cinematography, but are also an increasingly fashionable ‘gadget’ for consumers.
Electrical Safety First’s annual product safety conference will be held on Thursday 23rd November at Church House, Westminster
If you have any queries about the seminar or our product safety conference, please contact Ellen Vester, Stakeholders and Events Manager at Ellen.Vester@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk.
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