Reasonable Safety Precautions With Lithium Batteries

[EPAIII]

There has been a lot in the News about lithium batteries and the danger of fire with them. I would like to have a discussion about the dangers and the reasonable precautions that would offer some actual protection.

So, comments about the dangers, perhaps related to the sizes and types of lithium batteries. Would a coin cell be dangerous in any conceivable circumstances? A AAA cell? When does the size actually bring danger. Have cell phone batteries actually started any fires? I know the auto powering ones have.

What about one use vs rechargeable lithium batteries? Is it only the rechargeable ones that can be dangerous? Or can the one use ones also be?

And precautions? Containers for charging stations? Can anything stop a lithium battery fire once it has started?

I am seriously concerned about this and think that real, accurate information is in short supply.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[Halcyon]

I have a few thoughts which I practice myself.

I never buy batteries or cheap electronics of dubious quality. This isn't just a problem that's restricted to China, although the bulk of those cheap, nasty and dangerous products seem to originate from there. Although good quality "brand name" goods aren't immune to manufacturing defects or poor design, the chance of one exploding into flames is greatly reduced. A lot of the fires that occur are caused by these cheaper products.

Aside from my mobile phone and laptop, I never leave batteries charging while unattended.

Finally, make sure you home/workspace is well prepared if a disaster does occur. Make sure you have adequate smoke alarms installed and test them periodically. If they are over 10 years old, replace them. Also have appropriate fire extinguishers on-hand (I have 3 large CO2 extinguishers at home). There are also specific water-based extinguishers designed to extinguish a lithium ion battery fire. If you're constantly handling LiPo packs (e.g.: in an electronics lab), have a fibreglass LiPo safe bag or two nearby where you can place damaged packs inside or for use while charging. A metal bin to contain a fire is also a good idea.