‘From our cellphones to our scooters to our laptops’: Safety tips for lithium-ion batteries

John McBeth, Office of the Fire Marshal, discusses the potential fire risks of lithium-ion batteries and what consumers should look for when buying devices.

An increasing number of consumer products and devices, including many common holiday gifts, are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can be a fire risk if not charged, used or stored properly.

“Lithium-ion batteries power so much of our consumer products today, from our cellphones to our scooters to our laptops,” John McBeth, deputy fire marshal of Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal, told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday.

“The risk associated with them comes when they are improperly charged or when people introduce aftermarket products that aren’t necessarily made for those devices – that could lead to fire.”

McBeth said products that have been tested properly will have CSA labelling on them, indicating they have been manufactured for safe use in Canada. He added that battery-powered devices should always be purchased from reputable sellers.

When it comes to charging lithium-ion batteries, McBeth said that properly certified products all come with a physical manual that will include safe charging instructions.

“You want to read that manual properly and understand how long your device needs to be charged for along with the fact that you need to charge it on a hard, flat surface,” he said.

Lithium-ion batteries heat up as they charge, and if that heat is trapped around a device, like a phone underneath a blanket or pillow, that increases the risk of fire, McBeth noted.

“These batteries generate a lot of heat when they’re charging and when they’re in use,” he said, adding that devices should be kept away from anything combustible when they’re plugged in to charge.

When storing products with lithium-ion batteries, they should be kept in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight or heat sources, McBeth advised, and people should consult their municipality for instructions on how to safely dispose of the batteries, as they shouldn’t go in the garbage.

“You don’t want to put it in the regular trash because we’ve all seen the videos where batteries are pierced in a garbage container or in a garbage truck and they do have the potential to cause fire,” he said.

McBeth also said that lithium-ion batteries aren’t the only fire risk people should be thinking about during the holidays.

“(Keep) your decorations away from combustibles, make sure that your Christmas tree is adequately watered, daily,” he said.

“And of course with the holidays everybody’s gathering in the kitchen, so make sure you’re not distracted and that you’re watching what’s on the stove and make sure you take a few moments to test your smoke alarms.”