During the past 18 months, the Portable Rechargeable Battery
Association (PRBA) and more than 15 U.S. and international government agencies,
standards organizations, and industry associations have devoted their attention
to issues associated with the manufacture, use and transport of lithium-ion
batteries. These include, but are not limited to, the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), United Nations Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport
of Dangerous Goods, China’s Ministry of Information Industry (MII), Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association
(IFALPA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Hong Kong Civil Aviation
Department, and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Administration (CPSC).
PRBA has been the lead trade
association working with these agencies, organizations, and associations on
behalf of the rechargeable battery industry.
The widespread
use of lithium-ion batteries in portable electronic appliances has recently resulted
in some unjustified negative media attention. Recent press reports, for
example, claimed that an “exploding” cell-phone battery killed a Korean man.
However, the day after this story broke, a co-worker admitted that he
accidentally killed the man while backing up a drilling vehicle at the quarry
where they both worked. He also acknowledged that the exploding cell-phone
story was a fabrication.
Unfortunately, the media often
publicize the allegations but only rarely – and often incompletely – report the
facts that debunk the initial story. The battery industry must respond and
critique erroneous and premature media reports, as well as regulatory
initiatives sparked by heightened public awareness of the issues.
At
a recent hearing of the NTSB, lithium-ion batteries were cited as a possible
cause of a February 2006 cargo fire on a UPS plane that occurred at a
Philadelphia airport. This was a disappointing development, because the NTSB
has also publicly concluded that “the exact origin and cause of the in-flight
fire on board the airplane could not be determined.” Despite this, the NTSB
concluded that:
- Flight crews on
cargo-only aircraft remain at risk from in-flight fires involving both primary
and secondary lithium batteries.
- Testing and incident data indicate that lithium
batteries can pose a fire hazard.
As a result, the NTSB
recommended that the “exception” in the U.S. hazardous materials regulations
for small, consumer-type batteries be eliminated until further analysis on the
safety of lithium-ion batteries can be conducted.
The
NTSB’s recommendation ignored the fact that the further analysis it sought has
already been completed. In November, after considerable study and discussion,
the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel
adopted significant amendments to regulations that govern the transport of
lithium-ion batteries, and the equipment powered by them, when shipped on
passenger and cargo aircraft. PRBA was granted Advisor status to the ICAO
Dangerous Goods Panel and played a significant role in ensuring that the ICAO
adopted a reasonable set of regulations that will help facilitate the transport
of lithium-ion batteries and portable electronic equipment. These regulations
fulfill the very goal the NTSB has advocated.
China also
has stepped into the fray. China’s Ministry of Information Industry (MII)
recently proposed to standardize all cellular phone batteries sold in China.
The proposal would require batteries to be reduced to three or four standard
sizes and meet certain specifications. MII asserts such standardization will
improve the safety of cellular phone batteries and reduce waste. PRBA has been
working closely on this issue with several major cell-phone manufacturers and
the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which often
negotiates directly with foreign governments and helps resolve disputes on such
matters. Progress seems to be being made on this issue, although it clearly
will continue to be a concern in 2008.
These types of
regulatory initiatives and media attention will only increase as lithium-ion
technology expands into more portable and large-format applications. This
creates challenges as well as opportunities for the lithium-ion battery and
electronics’ industries. PRBA’s work is
critical to ensuring that industry views are heard and responded to in U.S. and
international forums.
