Day three of our battery safety week spotlighting learning, awareness raising and debate around Li-Ion battery fire safety, features the bulletin produced by Allianz Risk Consulting. We were privileged to have Captain Randall Lund from Allianz speak at our October webinar (see link to video below) and the bulletin complements his presentation.

In 2017 Allianz were already raising awareness on li-ion battery fire risk and the vital need to handle them correctly. In their latest 2022 report (see link below), one of the most likely causes of a li-ion battery fire is damage to the battery itself which can lead in turn to thermal runaway, fire, explosion and release of toxic gases.

Allianz identify four important loss prevention measures:

Choose a reputable manufacturer

Check the battery’s state of charge; ideal state of charge for transportation is typically between 30% and 50% depending on manufacturer’s recommendation, battery size/type, anticipated time in store before use and intended usage.

Beware of short circuits: if the heat generated by a short circuit is unable to dissipate (as in a closed package, or an intermodal freight container) the internal temperature will rise quickly to a point of ignition, which may be quickly followed by a thermal runaway event, or an explosion caused by the rapidly expanding dangerous gases being given off.

Follow packing instructions and train your staff – Cargo damage is one of the most common claims handled by the AGCS marine team. Battery shipments, whether large standalone storage units or palletized container loads that have been packaged according to Dangerous Goods Regulations, have to withstand the rigors of transit.

This includes numerous touch points and handling of cargo, which can lead to damaged cells, batteries, and packaging.

Cartons can get dropped, hit by forklifts, or crushed by superimposed cargoes, any of which can compromise the battery/cell itself and introduce one of the known hazards.

The Allianz Risk Consulting bulletin – Lithium-ion batteries: Fire risks and loss prevention measures in shipping is available from: https://www.agcs.allianz.com/news-and-insights/news/lithium-ion-batteries.html#:~:text=The%20risk%

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