The increased use of lithium-ion powered devices such as e-scooters presents a conundrum for landlords and strata committees.
A rise in the number of lithium-ion linked fires in homes is occurring amid a vacuum of government standards for dealing with these risks.
"Research by the organisation EV Fire Safe found that if a battery goes into thermal runaway inside a home, there is a 64% chance of being injured and requiring hospitalisation, and a 7.8% chance of death."
While there are some fire extinguishers available to suppress lithium-ion fires, in the absence of government standards, some fire safety consultants are currently reluctant to make specific recommendations in relation to lithium-ion fires.
In the linked article, Professor Christensen advises that lithium-ion devices should only be charged outside.
The Owners Corporation Network, an independent body representing apartment owners, has now made a similar recommendation.
But how practical is this suggestion in the context of apartment living? And are landlords and strata committees really aware of the number of devices currently used in their properties? (OCN has suggested that strata management maintain e-scooter and e-bike registers.)
Given the number of devices in properties across Australia, the risk seems relatively small at present but experts warn the risk increases where people use cheaper mismatched chargers or engage in unsafe charging practices.
Fire blankets commonly available are inadequate for dealing with lithium-ion related fires. Fire blankets capable of suppressing lithium-ion fires are coming to market but are generally not of an appropriate size or realistically priced for home use. Over time, this should change.
The insurance sector appears silent on the issue. But there is a risk of fires from lithium-ion batteries forming an exclusion from future policy coverage or at least a reluctance on the part of insurance companies to honour coverage if (as yet undefined) appropriate charging practices are not followed.
In the meantime, landlords and strata committees await the development of appropriate government standards for charging lithium-ion devices and dealing with related fires.
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