Use of Lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are found in many everyday electronic devices from mobile phones and laptops to e-scooters and e-motorcycles.

The design of each battery and the inherit risk is principally the same, if the battery is overcharged or damaged it has the potential to explode and cause a fire.

This risk is significantly increased by the size of the battery as the bigger the battery, the bigger storage capacity the battery has. This in turn means that in the event of the battery exploding there is a greater amount of energy that will be released.

A fire involving a lithium-ion battery releases toxic gas and it also creates extremely high temperatures which can result in the ignition of products around it. If the battery is contained within a device such as an e-scooter the components of the scooter will become involved in the fire.

To effectively manage the risk from Lithium-ion batteries it is necessary to restrict the storage and charging of certain types of devices inside Queen Mary buildings. 

Devices permitted for storing and charging inside Queen Mary buildings: -

Lithium-ion batteries commonly found in smaller electronic handheld and mobile devices such as:

• Mobile phones
• Laptops

Devices that are not permitted for storing and charging inside Queen Mary buildings: -

Lithium-ion batteries commonly found in larger electronic devices such as:

• E-scooters
• E-motorcycles
• E-bikes

Any devices on the ‘Not Permitted’ list may only be stored or charged with written permission from the Fire Safety Team. It will be for the individual making the request to liaise with the Fire Safety Team, to ensure an adequate risk assessment is put in place, including suitable control measures.

If you have any questions please contact the Fire Safety Team