Charged up: Addressing li-batt cargo compliance a top concern

Regulation compliance and containing fires are key concerns when transporting lithium batteries by air. [caption id="attachment_83532" align="alignright" width="300"] A hazardous goods label identifies the cargo as lithium-ion batteries. (Photo: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg)[/caption] Current regulations call for lithium cell and battery shipments to be declared and marked hazardous, restricting the net weight of the batteries in packages, and limiting lithium-ion cells and batteries to 30% charge. David Brennan , IATA head of cargo safety and dangerous goods, said during an IATA panel this week that fires are more likely when lithium batteries are not properly declared and identified prior to loading; if design and test standards aren’t met; and if damage occurs during handling. “We have situations where people unknowingly offer lithium batteries in some shape or form, whether it’s by themselves or in equipment, and they don’t declare, and that’s, in some cases, simply through ignorance; they’re not aware,” Brennan said. “Unfortunately, we also have some people that believe that the rules don’t apply to them.” The Federal Aviation Administration reported 422 lithium battery incidents in the United States between May 2006 and April 2023, according to panelist Michael Cowlishaw , Qatar Airways manager of dangerous goods and lithium battery transportation. Some incidents resulted from lithium batteries in passenger bags, he added. The main lithium battery hazards, according to Cowlishaw, are: inferior quality batteries; counterfeit batteries and documents; damaged batteries; fraudulent shipper and passenger declarations; lack of consumer knowledge; packaging without fire protection; and lack of accountability throughout the supply chain. Cowlishaw expressed dismay over the lack of penalties for those filing fraudulent documents. “There’s been a number of incidents, and everything has been reported correctly to the relevant authorities,” he said. “You don’t hear if there any consequences for shippers. … Generally [when] something goes wrong, it comes back to the airline, not the shipper or the freight forwarder.” Fire suppression and improved detection IATA’s Brennan touted the development of supplementary fire protection for aircraft cargo compartments, such as fire-resistant containers and fire-containment covers for containers, which can protect cargo and the plane from damage and remain effective for six hours, allowing time to land. “The work on the fire-resistant containers and fire-containment covers is under a committee within SA Aerospace ,” Brennan said. [caption id="attachment_57135843" align="alignright" width="300"] A technical detection dog inspects a pallet of export cargo for any concealed lithium batteries, before loading onto a Qatar Airways flight. (Photo/Hactl)[/caption] As for detection, Qatar Airways has been testing the use of lithium detection dogs. “We’ve done three trials, one in Charles de Gaulle [CDG], one in Hong Kong [HKG] and one in Washington [IAD],” Cowlishaw said. “And the dog is actually quite amazing.” Qatar Airways is also evaluating a “smell cyborg,” which would act like a lithium detection dog, as well as machines that could scan entire pallets for lithium. “I say let’s get more dogs out to the airport,” Brandon Fried , Airforwarders Association executive director, told Air Cargo Next at IATA’s World Cargo Symposium last month. “Because here’s the thing: We can talk about fire-resistant containers and coverage for containers only. They’re expensive — they cost a lot of money because they weigh 40 and 50 pounds each. And there are hundreds of containers out there. Suppose you’re wrong, and you get an undeclared box in a container full of paper. Now you have a fire that’s been in the container.” Working toward widespread certification Cowlishaw recommends that industry stakeholders form a “gateway” to assist one another in obtaining IATA’s CEIV lithium battery certification . “If we’re doing a CEIV certification, let’s get together,” he said. “Let’s talk. Let’s try and make it better for everybody.” The certification process takes 12 weeks to 24 weeks and includes four phases: preparation, training, assessment and validation, according to panelist Zheni Chaneva , IATA project manager for lithium battery certification. “The certification scope applies to all actors of the lithium battery supply chain, such as shippers, cargo handling facilities, freight forwarders and airlines, and their associated responsibilities and functions depending on the operational scope of the organization,” she said.

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