Practical Guide

to the handling of
lithium batteries
with regard to
hazardous substances
law and fire protection

1st edition – August 2021

Contents

1 Preliminary remarks .............................................................................................. 3

2 Fundamentals ..................................................................................................... 3
3 Possible dangers ................................................................................................. 3
4 Regulations according to VdS 3103: 2019-06 (3) .................................................... 5
4.1 Safety rules according to lithium battery capacity classes .................................. 5
4.2 General safety rules / protective measures ..................................................... 5
4.3 Additional safety rules / protective measures for the respective capacity classes
(according to VdS 3103) ........................................................................... 6
5 Recommendations for operational implementation ...................................................... 7
5.1 Additional requirements .............................................................................. 8
5.2 Detecting a defective battery ....................................................................... 8
5.3 Behaviour in the event of danger .................................................................. 8
Contact details and publication data ............................................................................... 10

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1 Preliminary remarks
To date, there are no regulations in public law for the storage and handling of lithium
batteries. DIN VDE 0132:2018-07 section 5.1.5 provides information on hazards and
measures to be taken in the case of fire or damaged lithium batteries. In TRGS 510
(December 2020), “Storage of hazardous substances in non-stationary containers”, section
13.2 paragraph (3) 3 states that an increase in hazardousness may result, from the
dangers specific to the product, e.g. from ignition sources due to a short circuit in
connection with lithium batteries. No further information on storage is provided.
VdS 3103:2019-06, “Lithium batteries” is an aid to loss prevention for the insurance
industry and may apply within an insurance contract. The same applies to VdS
3856:2019-06, “Sprinkler protection of lithium batteries”, which provides supplementary
technical
information on extinguishing systems for the storage of large quantities of lithium batteries.
This guide therefore does not list all the measures required in individual cases. In addition,
the state of the art and the legal basis may have changed since the publication of this
guide. Customary office quantities or small quantities are not considered here.
This guide has been carefully prepared. This does not release the user from the obligation
and responsibility to check the information for completeness, up-to-dateness and
correctness.

2 Fundamentals
Lithium batteries are chemical energy stores that can release the stored charge in the form
of electrical energy in an electrochemical reaction. Basically, a differentiation can be made
between two different types of batteries:
 Primary batteries (non-rechargeable batteries)
 Secondary batteries (rechargeable batteries)
With today’s manufacturing standards, it can be assumed that lithium batteries can be
regarded as comparatively safe when handled properly and correctly. However, if an
uncontrolled and accelerated release of the chemically stored energy occurs as a result of
technical defects or improper handling, this usually takes the form of thermal energy, which
can lead to a fire.

3 Possible dangers
Incorrect handling and improper use such as
 mechanical damage (internal short circuits),
 thermal stress (internal short circuits, external heating),
 overcharging (strong temperature increase due to exothermic processes),

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may result in the following hazards:
 Electric shock and danger of electric arcing
(depending on the capacity class)
 Leakage of hazardous substances (see below)
 Fire hazard due to the materials and components used
 Thermal hazards
 Bursting of batteries and battery cells when heated

The hazards mentioned can also occur with a time delay, up to several hours after the ef-
fect of the damage.
In cases of improper use, contact with hazardous substances cannot be ruled out. Depend-
ing on the composition, substances with the following properties may be released:

H350i: May cause cancer if inhaled.

H372: Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated expo-
sure.

H317: May cause an allergic skin reaction.

H335: May cause respiratory irritation.
H302: Harmful if swallowed.

H331: Toxic if inhaled.

H314: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage.

H290: May be corrosive to metals.

H226: Flammable liquid and vapour.

H271: May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer.

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4 Regulations according to VdS 3103: 2019-06 (3)

4.1 Safety rules according to lithium battery capacity classes

Low Capacity Medium Capacity High Capacity

Computers, multimedia, small Pedelecs, e-bikes, e-scooters, Electromobility (automotive),
electrical appliances, defibril- large electrical appliances off-grid large-scale equipment
lators

Lithium metal batteries:

≤ 2g Li per battery > 2 g Li per battery > 2 g Li per battery

and > 12 kg gross per battery
≤ 12 kg gross per battery

Lithium-ion batteries:

≤ 100 Wh per battery > 100 Wh per battery > 100 Wh per battery
and and / or
≤ 12 kg gross per battery > 12 kg gross per battery

4.2 General safety rules / protective measures

 Compliance with the relevant manufacturer’s specifications (technical product data
sheets)
 Prevention of external short circuits (protection against short circuit of the battery
terminals, e.g. by using terminal caps)
 Prevention of internal short circuits (protection against mechanical damage)
 Do not expose directly and permanently to high temperatures or heat sources
(including direct sunlight). Battery temperature not to exceed 80 °C
 In areas that are not protected by automatic fire extinguishing systems, a structural
or spatial separation of at least 2.5 m from other combustible materials must be
maintained.
 Damaged or defective lithium batteries must be removed immediately from storage
and production areas and temporarily stored at a safe distance or in a separated
fire protection area until disposal.

Batteries are only to be stored when they have a test certificate to UN 38.3 (prototypes
only in exceptional cases and with separate hazard assessment).

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4.3 Additional safety rules / protective measures for the respective
capacity classes (according to VdS 3103)

Low Capacity Medium Capacity High Capacity

Computers, multimedia, Pedelecs, e-bikes, e-scooters, Electromobility (automotive),
small electrical appliances, large electrical appliances off-grid large-scale equipment
defibrillators

None Storage in separated fire-re- Storage in separated fire-resistant

sistant areas or in compliance areas or in compliance with a
(In the case of larger contiguous
with a safety distance safety distance
storage quantities (volumes over
(spatial separation of 5 m) (cooled spatial separation
7 m³ or more than six europal-
of 5 m)
lets) the instructions for batteries
of medium capacity apply)

Avoidance of mixed storage Separation and

with other fire-accelerating quantity limitation
products

Monitoring of the storage area Automatic extinguishing systems

by means of a suitable fire
alarm system with connection to
a permanently staffed office

For larger storage quantities Regulation of protective measures

(occupied area > 60 m2 in consultation with the property
and / or storage heights insurer
> 3 m), the instructions for high
capacity batteries apply.

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5 Recommendations for operational implementation

Low Capacity Medium Capacity High Capacity

Computers, multimedia, Pedelecs, e-bikes, Electromobility (automotive),
Small electrical appliances, e-scooters, large electrical off-grid large-scale equipment
defibrillators appliances

Storage

Keep a safe distance of 1.5 m Recommendation: Recommendation:

from other combustible materials Comply with VdS regulations Comply with VdS regulations (see
(see above). above).
For storage > 7 m3:
Provide fire alarm system
Well ventilated in a cool place
(no sources of heat
such as heaters)
Enter storage location in fire
protection plan
No mixed storage with other
goods

Charging

In addition to the above recom- In addition to the above recom- In addition to the above recom-
mendations for storage: mendations for storage: mendations for storage:
Good ventilation and heat dissi- See low capacity See low and medium capacity
pation capability
Only in an area with fire alarm Charging preferably outside
On a non-combustible surface systems buildings
(metal table or plate)
Keep a safe distance
Observe the power consumption
Provide suitable, fire-retardant
at permanently installed sockets,
disposal containers that prevent
do not connect socket extensions
spreading
in series.
Avoid unattended charging if
possible. If necessary, use a
timer.
Preferably use fire protection
switches (AFDD switches)

The ideal condition is storage and charging in a separate fire compartment. There are various contain-
ers, cabinets, etc. for safe storage and charging available on the market.

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 5.1 Additional requirements

 Preparation of a risk assessment and operating instructions

 Instruction of the workforce
 Compliance with dangerous goods regulations for those involved in transport
 Minimum marking of cabinets, rooms and containers:

 An apparently intact battery can be damaged by mechanical effects (e.g. impact or

falling) and may be defective.
 Follow sorting instructions for collecting batteries and high-capacity batteries (includ-
ing defective ones) for disposal.

Pay attention to product warnings and react as necessary.

5.2 Detecting a defective battery

 Damaged or significantly deformed casing
 Discoloration on metal parts of the battery
 Melting points on the plastic casing
 Warming of the battery when switched off
 Battery leakage

5.3 Behaviour in the event of danger

 In the event of malfunctions, switch off the charger immediately and, if possible,
disconnect the plug connections while observing personal safety.

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  Use personal protective equipment (PPE) when cleaning up spills from batteries,
and use suitable chemical binders.
 Water is recommended as an extinguishing agent due to its cooling effect.
Burning lithium-ion batteries are difficult to extinguish, so attention should be paid
to preventing the further spread of fire.
 Observe the scene of the fire, as re-ignition can occur even after hours or days.

Note:
Always store defective batteries in special fire-resistant containers and, if necessary, cover
with dry sand, vermiculite, or extinguishing granules (cf. BDEW Application Aid for
Handling of Lithium Batteries (Anwendungshilfe Umgang mit Lithiumbatterien), section 4.2.2
and Disposal Manual for Energy Service Providers (Entsorgungshandbuch für Energie-
dienstleister), section 6.28).

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VGB PowerTech e.V.* is the European technical association for electricity and heat generation and
storage with head office located in Essen (Germany). Currently vgbe energy has 437 members,
comprising operators, manufacturers, and institutions connected with energy engineering. The mem-
bers come from 33 countries and represent an installed power generation capacity of
302,000 MW.
The activities of vgbe energy comprise:
 Provision of an international platform for the accumulation, exchange, and transfer of technical
know-how.
 Acting as “gate-keeper” and provider of technical know-how for the member companies and
other associations of our industry.
 Harmonisation of technical and operational standards.
 Identification and organisation of joint R&D activities.
 Exclusive member access to qualified expert knowledge.
 Representation of members’ interests.
Results of the work of vgbe energy are published in vgbe-Standards and in the international
vgbe energy journal.
* vgbe energy has been the new brand identity of VGB PowerTech since September 2021.

This practical guide was prepared by the vgbe energy project group „chemical hazards“
(Projektgruppe Arbeitsstoffe).
Members of this project group are:
 Kai Hinterthan, RWE Power AG
 Dr Herbert Lindner, Lindner AUDi
 Michael Oberlander, LEW Verteilnetz GmbH
 Sandra Patalla, RheinEnergie AG
 Jörg Prochnow, Energieversorgung Leverkusen GmbH & Co. KG
 Jan Raudszus, Avacon Netz GmbH
 Guido Schwabe, VGB PowerTech e.V.
 Frank Styppa-Geiger, ESWE Versorgungs AG

Contact:
Dr Gregor Lipinski | E-mail: [email protected] | Phone: +49 201 8128-272
VGB PowerTech e.V. | Deilbachtal 173 | 45257 Essen | Germany
Chairman: Dr Georgios Stamatelopoulos
Executive Managing Director: Dr Oliver Then
Internet: www.vgbe.energy

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