The NSW Government has issued an alert about potential fire dangers of poor-quality lithium-ion battery powered products.
The warning comes amid fears of substandard lithium-ion battery powered devices flooding the market during Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other pre-Christmas sales ahead of new regulations due to take effect next year.
The state government says new data shows a record 275 battery-related incidents so far this year, compared to 272 last year.
Most of the fires have been caused by small portable devices, with Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib saying listing electric toothbrushes, shavers, vacuum cleaners, portable chargers and power tools as top culprits.
There are also 86 reported fires involving e-micromobility devices such as bikes and scooters.
Power tools catching on fire
Fire and Rescue NSW has released a new safety guide video demonstrating thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries and featuring power tool batteries catching fire in a living room.
The risk of thermal runaway is higher in batteries that are damaged, overcharged or exposed to high temperatures.
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong is advising consumers not to skimp on quality and safety.
‘Check the ACCC Product Safety website to see if there’s an active recall,’ the minister says, ‘make sure the batteries don’t show signs of damage and check for standards labelling’.
Recently changed state regulations mean e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards will need to meet new testing, certification, and marking requirements from February next year.
Retailers, manufacturers and suppliers are to face fines of up to $825,000 for failure to comply with the new safety standards.
Information Standards are to also be introduced with consumer advice and warnings on fire and electrical safety, product storage, road rules and disposal of e-micromobility products.
Batteries don’t belong in kerbside bins
The government is also reminding people batteries do not belong in household garbage bins, where they can spark fires in garbage trucks and waste facilities.
The Tweed and Ballina Shire Councils have each reported fires in their tips recently attributed to people putting batteries in kerbside bins.
Lithium-ion batteries can be disposed at dedicated areas in recovery centres as well as at many retail outlets and supermarkets.
Products with embedded batteries, like electric toothbrushes and portable speakers, can be safely disposed of at Community Recycling Centres.
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