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    Lithium-Ion Batteries: The Secret Fire Hazard

    Are you prepared for this in-flight threat?
    2/28/2019 1:00:00 PM

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now considers Lithium-Ion batteries to be an in-flight fire hazard. So, how likely is a thermal runaway event by a Li-Ion battery-powered device? Let's look...

    Did you know the battery industry produces 5 billion lithium-ion batteries per year? Of these new batteries, 1 in 10 million will spontaneously combust! That means 500 lithium-ion batteries will fail per year. Estimates also put the number of lithium-powered devices in the skies at 50 million per day. And it's easy to see how, when you consider the number of devices that use these batteries:

    • Smartphones
    • Tablets
    • Laptops
    • MP3 Players
    • E-books
    • Portable Power Banks
    • Headphones
    • Vape Pens/E-Cigarettes
    • Pilots Electronic Flight Bag
    • Light-up Tennis Shoes
    • Digital Cameras
    • Defibrillators
    • Toys
    • and more…

    But, this estimate doesn't include the thousands of GA aircraft flying every day.

    With so many lithium-ion batteries in the air, it's no wonder there's a new lithium-ion battery event reported every 8 days. And those are only the incidents reported and correctly attributed. An unknown number of incidents go unreported or attributed to something other than a lithium-ion event.
     
    But all is not lost. There's a simple solution for the lithium-ion threat. For instance, proper training and access to the right tools could save property and lives. HOT-STOP® 'L' kits are the only lithium solution that contains 100% of an event. This includes smoke, fire, debris, and emission of toxic gases. This is important since the gases emitted by melting plastic and smoke from the battery fluid are toxic. Which means these emissions could cause immediate medical complications to passengers and crew.

    A typical commercial flight can have as many as 500 lithium batteries on board at one time.

    Currently, there are 14,500 HOT-STOP® "L" kits flying aboard 17 different airlines. But there are over 5,000 airlines across the globe. That means that 99.66% of airlines either have a solution that won't contain 100% of an event or no solution at all.
     
    Another benefit of these kits is the ability to contain without the use of water. HOT-STOP® 'L' kits have as few as 5 steps and can be deployed in under 10 seconds. As you know, when you're 40,000 feet in the air, seconds matter! Other products on the market need the use of water or have many steps. And in addition, modern electronics like smartphones and tablets are manufactured to resist water penetration. With 100% containment, the HOT-STOP® 'L' kits can protect the aircraft, crew, and passengers on-board.

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