Lithium-Ion Battery Hazards and Safety Management
A special thank you to Jeff Romine for delivering an outstanding and informative presentation on lithium-ion battery hazards and safety management. Jeff provided valuable insights into:
- Common battery failure modes, including thermal runaway, fire, explosion, toxic gas release, and reignition hazards.
- Causes of battery failures such as mechanical damage, overcharging, improper chargers, manufacturing defects, and physical impacts.
- Emergency response best practices, including immediate evacuation, contacting the fire department, isolating the area, and treating incidents as hazardous materials events.
- Workplace risk assessment and control measures, including battery inventories, charging station evaluations, damaged battery storage, employee training, and use of OEM batteries and chargers only.
- Technical explanations of battery construction, off-gassing hazards, counterfeit battery risks, and lessons learned from real-world incidents.
- Safety considerations for large-scale battery storage systems, electric vehicle batteries, and compliance with NFPA and International Fire Code requirements.
The discussion concluded with a Q&A session covering battery life expectancy, charging practices, forklift battery applications, and storage considerations for large battery systems.
Additional Resources Available
Jeff generously offered continued support to chapter members. Participants may contact him for presentation materials, additional technical information, or guidance on lithium-ion battery safety topics. He also offered to provide on-site training sessions for organizations and fire departments at no charge.
Upcoming Event: Workers’ Comp 101
Mark your calendars for September 17 for our Workers’ Comp 101 training event at Southern Champion Tray – Center South.
This three-hour program will feature representatives from the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, including administrators and a judge, providing valuable insight into Tennessee’s workers’ compensation system.
Registration will be handled directly through the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation rather than the normal ASSP registration process. Please share this opportunity with colleagues in safety, human resources, and SHRM-related roles who may benefit from attending.