By FireRescue1 Staff
COLUMBIA, Md. — UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) announced today the release of a new online training course titled “The Science of Fire and Explosion Hazards from Lithium-ion Batteries.” The video was produced to provide firefighters actionable insights rooted in the most current research around including lithium-ion battery cell construction, thermal runaway, and how fire and explosion hazards can develop.
Lithium-ion battery-powered devices – like cell phones, laptops, toothbrushes, power tools, electric vehicles, and scooters – are being deployed at a massive scale and, as FSRI shares, fires involving lithium-ion battery-powered products have increased at an alarming rate, resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities. Further, even when the initial cause of the fire was not the lithium-ion powered device, the involvement of these batteries can increase the intensity and magnitude of the fire.
FSRI’s new course aims to help firefighters better understand the physical phenomena that determine how hazards develop during lithium-ion battery incidents and develop strategies to mitigate the associated risks.
“We believe one of the most effective ways to combat risks to life safety and minimize sensationalization of lithium-ion battery thermal runaways is to inform the general public and the fire service about thermal runaway causes, how fire and explosion hazards can develop, and what can be done before and after thermal runaways to minimize the consequences,” said Adam Barowy, FSRI research engineer.
Click here to access the course via the FSRI Fire Safety Academy.
Click here to watch an intro video to the course.
