Lithium-ion battery safety at home: What you need to know

What you'll learn:

• What LiBs are and where they’re used
• How LiB fires can start
• Tips to keep yourself and your family safe from LiB fires
• LiBs and home insurance cover

LiBs are the most common type of rechargeable battery. These batteries can store a lot of energy, last a long time, and be recycled. They come with battery management systems, cords, and chargers. You’ll find them in many portable electronics and electric transport devices.

They’re not the same as ‘single use’ lithium batteries found in most TV and audio remote controls, garage doors, home alarms, and smoke detectors.

Here are some examples of where you can find LiB:

• Communications: such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, cameras, and portable power banks.
• Leisure: such as golf buggies and carts, drones, model aircraft, remote-control cars, children's ride-on cars, gaming consoles, cameras, action cams, headphones, and massage devices.
• Mobility: such as e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, electric wheelchairs, mobility scooters, and electric vehicles (EVs) including buses and other transport.
• Gardening: such as lawn mowers, whipper snippers, blowers, and hedgers.
• Trade and handy work: such as drills, rattle guns, and other power tools.
• Household: such as cordless vacuum cleaners, torches, home solar battery energy storage systems, and e-cigarettes

LiBs can fail for several reasons, including when they’re damaged by:

• Abuse: such as impact, crushing, overheating, or submersion
• Overcharging
• Storage or during transit
• Poor manufacturing: i.e. defective
• Poor quality: i.e. cheaply made 

According to an article by EV fire safe, the starting point for all LiB fires is thermal runaway: an unstable chemical reaction.

An abused battery cell can short circuit. This means the positive (anode) and negative (cathode) parts touch. This causes the cell structure to break down and produce a lot of heat quickly.

The heat inside the cell builds until the pressure becomes too much. It causes the cell to pop and vent out heavy metals and gases. This appears as a dark, then lighter, cloud of vapour.

This vapour cloud contains a mix of toxic and flammable gases, mainly hydrogens. Many of these gases can cause respiratory distress or suffocation.

When one cell starts to heat up and release gases, others in the pack will follow in a domino effect. This is thermal runaway. Once it starts, it's difficult for emergency responders to stop it.

A lot of attention has been drawn to the risk of thermal runaway in EVs. However, the EV Fire Safe Battery Fire Risk Matrix shows the risk of fire from road registered EVs is very low. They’re subject to strict regulations and use high-quality battery management systems. This means they’re less likely to catch fire than personal mobility devices (PMDs) like e-scooters and e-bikes. PMDs generally use lower-quality batteries, are less regulated, and therefore have a higher risk of fire. 

It’s important to know how LiB fires can start. Then you can take steps to prevent them. One common risk is leaving a device charging in the garage after it’s fully charged.

“It’s a fire risk in an area of the house surrounded by flammable materials like paints. Most garages don’t have smoke alarms, so a fire could spread before anyone notices. By knowing this risk, you can better protect your family from the trauma of a fire,” says Chris Wood, Emerging Risk Manager – Allianz Risk.

Here are some of the hazards:

• Leaving a device on charge after it's fully recharged
• Charging while unattended or unsupervised: For example, while you're asleep or away for a long time
• Covering or positioning the device, battery, charger or cords with or on flammable material, like bedding or clothing
• Buying second-hand devices: such as power tools without knowing their battery use history
• Using a damaged or broken battery
• Continuing to use a LiB after it's been dropped many times
• Using cheap third-party chargers or cables: i.e. not the originals from the supplier

Warning signs that a LiB may fail

• The device is bulging or cracking
• The device is overheating
• Vapours appearing
• Popping sounds, like gunshots

NSW Fire and Rescue says LiBs are the fastest growing fire risk in the state. They provide the following advice for managing this risk: 

Before charging any batteries, make sure you have working smoke alarms or heat alarms in the rooms where you store or charge them.

It's also important to charge batteries on surfaces that can't catch fire, like concrete floors or tiles. Don't charge them on beds, couches, or carpets.

Charge larger batteries, like those used in e-scooters, e-bikes, and power tools in a garage, shed, or carport. Keep them away from flammable materials, living spaces, and exits.

Never charge batteries when you’re asleep or not home. Once your device is fully charged, remove it from the charger.

Avoid using and charging devices in bed, especially phones, tablets, and vapes. These devices can overheat and catch fire when left on blankets, sheets, or clothing.

If a battery is swelling, bulging, leaking, or overheating, don’t use or charge it. Also, avoid using and charging cracked, dented, punctured, or crushed devices.

Always use the charger that came with your device or battery. If you need to replace it, make sure it’s an approved charger.

Just because a plug fits, doesn't mean it's safe to use. Always look for chargers with the Australian Regulatory Compliance Mark Tick. Using the wrong charger can damage the battery and cause it to overheat, which can lead to a fire.

Never put LiBs in your household waste or recycling bin as they can cause fires.

• Remove the battery
• Place clear sticky tape on the battery terminals
• If the battery is built into the product and you can’t remove it, recycle the whole item
• Take the battery or item to your local recycling centre. To find drop off points visit B-cycle. 
• If the battery is damaged, check your local fire service website, e.g. Fire and Rescue NSW, for safety information

Allianz Home Insurance can cover your home for loss or damage from a fire caused by a LiB-powered item. This is subject to the terms and conditions of your policy. Always follow manufacturers’ guidelines for charging, using, and storing your LiB-powered items.

For details of your insurance cover, including terms and conditions and exclusions, see the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).

This covers the physical structures that make up your home, if they’re damaged in a fire. This includes the house itself, garage, sheds, swimming pools, decks and built-in appliances. This cover is available under a Buildings, or Buildings and Contents policy.

This cover is available under a Contents, or Buildings and Contents policy. It covers things you own, or a legally responsible for, if they’re damaged or destroyed in a fire. This includes furniture, white goods, and electrical appliances. However, there are policy limits on some contents items, so always see the PDS for full policy details.

A fire can damage your home so badly that you can't live there. This coverage, included in Buildings or Contents policies, means we'll pay for you and your pets to stay somewhere for the time necessary. Limits apply. For more details, see the PDS.

If a lithium-ion battery starts a fire in your home that injures someone or damages their property, you may be liable. Your Buildings and Contents policy can help pay the legal costs and compensation if you’re found liable. For terms, conditions, limits and exclusions, see the PDS.

This covers damage to your car and other people’s vehicles and property. This includes damage to your car from an accident, fire, theft, and weather. If you own an EV, Allianz Comprehensive Car Insurance also covers thermal runaway.

This covers damage to other people’s cars and property. It doesn’t cover your own car. That’s why it’s popular with second-hand car owners who don’t want more comprehensive coverage.