Lithium Battery Safety Advisory

PHMSA 04-07 Li Battery Safety Notice.pdf

On April 7, 2016 (81 FR 20443), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a Safety advisory notice in the federal register to inform persons engaged in the transport of lithium batteries in commerce of recent actions taken by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to enhance the safe transport of lithium batteries by air. According to the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Association (ICCAIA), Boeing, and other aircraft manufacturers, the fire suppression capabilities of an aircraft may be exceeded in a situation where heat and flames generated from thermal runaway in a single package of lithium ion batteries spreads to adjacent packages, potentially leading to a catastrophic loss of the aircraft because of a fire that cannot be contained or suppressed. To minimize this risk, PHSMA has added: (1) A prohibition on the transport of lithium ion cells and batteries as cargo aboard passenger carrying aircraft (this prohibition applies to lithium cells and batteries (UN3480) not contained in or packed with equipment when transported as cargo and does not include batteries contained in personal electronic devices carried by passengers or crew); (2) A requirement for lithium ion cells and batteries to be shipped at a state of charge of no more than 30 percent of their rated capacity on cargo aircraft (forbidden on passenger); and (3) A limit on the number of packages of both lithium ion and lithium metal batteries that may be offered for transportation on cargo aircraft under current provisions for small cells and batteries to not more than one package per consignment or overpack. These amendments are effective April 1, 2016.