lithium batteries - contour...

1 PRISM, 6021 South Syracuse Way, Suite 303, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 USA | +1 303-770-4276 | prism.aero

IN THIS EDITION

PAGE 1

Lithium Batteries

PAGE 4

Run Flat and Self Sealing

Tires

PAGE 8

Safety Manager’s Corner

PAGE 9

Quote of the Month

On Short Final...

Y O U R MO NTH L Y S O UR C E F OR SA F ET Y IN F OR MAT IO N F EB R UAR Y 2 019 | V O L U ME X IX | ISS U E I I

Lithium Batteries BY: Susan Cadwallader, PRISM Source: Various

In June of 2018 a Boeing 737 commercial aircraft had to make an emergency landing

due to a fire caused by a Lithium-ion battery in its cargo hold. The flight crew re-

motely discharged a bottle of fire extinguishing agent into the cargo hold, declared

an emergency, and landed safely. The battery was a spare that a passenger had

packed in his checked luggage for his e-cigarette —claiming he “forgot” it was in

there.

There has been a lot of attention paid to the hazards of Lithium batteries on air travel

but some people are still confused, unaware of the risks, or just think “it won’t hap-

pen to me”. Compound this with the explosion (no pun intended) of the type and

number of lithium batteries out there and you can see this problem is not going to go

away soon. Your smart phone, tablet, laptop computer, camera, e-cigarette, vehicle

remote key, medical devices, and even some smart bags all contain lithium batteries.

In fact any portable electronics nowadays almost certainly contain a Lithium-ion bat-

tery.

Lithium batteries when overheat-

ed and/or exposed to certain met-

als can go into what is referred to

has thermal runaway. This is a

chemical reaction which increases

temperature and pressure until

the battery ruptures and releases

molten burning lithium.


S AF ET Y WIR E | Y O UR MO NTH L Y S O UR C E F O R SA F ET Y INF O R MAT ION

The FAA has released five SAFOs on the topic of Lithium batter-

ies, which are all listed and linked in the references section at

the end of this article. Additionally (and more recently) the FAA

released a Fact Sheet on Lithium batteries in August 2018 that

is targeted toward passenger travel with Lithium batteries.

FAA Press Release Aug 2018—copied here in full

“Lithium batteries, which power everyday items, can catch fire

if damaged or exposed terminals are short-circuited.

Devices containing lithium metal or lithium ion batteries, including – but not limited to – smartphones, tablets, and lap-

tops, should be kept in carry-on baggage. If these devices are packed in checked baggage, they should be turned com-

pletely off, protected from accidental activation and packed so they are protected from damage.

Spare (uninstalled) lithium metal and lithium ion batteries,

electronic cigarettes and vaping devices are prohibited in

checked baggage. They must be carried with the passenger

in carry-on baggage in the cabin. Smoke and fire incidents

involving lithium batteries can be mitigated by the cabin

crew and passengers inside the aircraft cabin.

If a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or planeside, spare

lithium batteries, electronic cigarettes, and vaping devices

must be removed from the baggage and kept with the pas-

senger in the aircraft cabin. Even in carry-on baggage, these

items should be protected from damage, accidental activa-

tion and short circuiting. The terminals on batteries not

sealed in manufacturer packaging should be covered with

tape and placed in separate bags to prevent short circuits.

Damaged, defective or recalled lithium batteries must not be carried in carry-on or checked baggage if they are likely to be

a safety concern by overheating or catching on fire. When in doubt, leave it out.”

Shipped Cargo

So far this article has addressed lithium batteries being carried by passengers but the astute reader will realize that Lithium

batteries are shipped in Air Cargo all the time. After all, your new laptop computer that you ordered online and had

shipped to your home has a Lithium battery in it and it almost certainly travelled by air. There are a host of regulations



regarding this aspect of Lithium batteries and this article is not intended to cover all of them. The FAA recommends cargo

and passenger operators who wish to carry lithium ion batteries as cargo, review and consider the following:

• All lithium batteries per 49 CFR §171.2(e), 175.3, and 175.30(a)

must comply with appropriate packaging and shipping re-

quirements for dangerous goods; •

• High density packages of lithium batteries and cells increases

risk;

• Training of personnel who handle lithium batteries per 14 CFR

§121.1001(a), 121.1003(a), and

• 49 CFR §172.704 must include information on the dangers

associated with any lithium battery; the proper labeling; the

proper loading; the proper rejection criteria for damaged ship-

ments; and emergency response procedures in the event of a

heat/smoke/fire event involving lithium batteries.

References:

SAFO 10017, Risks in Transporting Lithium Batteries in Cargo by Aircraft. http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/media/

safo10017.pdf.

SAFO 15010, Carriage of Spare Lithium Batteries in Carry-on and Checked Baggage. https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/

aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/ media/2015/SAFO15010.pdf.

SAFO 16001, Risks of Fire or Explosion when Transporting Lithium Ion or Lithium Metal Batteries as Cargo on Passenger

and Cargo Aircraft. https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/ all safos/

media/2016/SAFO16001.pdf.

SAFO 16004, New International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Regulatory Requirements for Shipping and Transporting

Lithium Batteries. https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/ all safos/

media/2016/SAFO16004.pdf.

SAFO 16012, Lithium Ion Battery Shipments from Braille Battery. https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/

airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2016/SAFO16012.pdf

https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviation_industry/airline_operators/airline_safety/safo/all_safos/media/2010/SAFO10017.pdf












Run Flat and Self Sealing Tires BY: Susan Cadwallader, PRISM Source: Various

A lot of Aviation Safety Managers would agree that one of their biggest headaches is ground vehicle hazards and incidents.

While there are plenty of hazards associated with your ground vehicles, both work and personal, there are some relatively

new and increasingly common features in vehicles that can introduce new hazards, specifically “Run-Flat” tires and “Self

Sealing” tires. It would be wise to spread the word about how these tires work and what you need to know if you get a flat

tire in one.

While driving in to work recently, I experienced a flat tire at 70 mph

on the freeway going into downtown Denver. In the space of 10

seconds, I heard loud noises coming from the right rear quadrant of

my vehicle, my dashboard display lit up like a Christmas tree, and

the vehicle started pulling to the right. The only shoulder was two

lanes over on the left side so I maneuvered across traffic, got

stopped right next to the concrete barrier, and turned on my hazard

flashing lights. I was about 1-2 feet off of the traffic lanes, which I

deemed “safe enough” to sit there and gather my wits. I looked

down at my dashboard and saw that my right rear tire was reporting

one lousy pound per square inch (1 psi) of air in it. At that moment I remembered that my 5-month old car has “Run-Flat”

tires and I realized I did not really know what that meant. It’s a good thing this wasn’t a check ride.

Joking aside, I knew I had a tire that had virtually no air in it so can you really drive on a fully flat “Run-Flat” tire? Well, what

if the tire was not intact—a big slash in it or something? But does it make sense to get out of the vehicle to walk around

into the freeway traffic lane to check out the tire? Besides the obvious traffic hazard, it was still dark outside. Ultimately I

decided to call Roadside Assistance and stay buckled in my seat. I knew in advance that Roadside Assistance is provided

by my automobile insurance company and the phone number is clearly written on my proof of insurance card in the glove-

box.

While I waited for Roadside Assistance, a roving safety pa-

trol vehicle with flashing lights stopped to check on me

and offered to put on my spare tire …. except cars with

Run-Flat tires do not carry a spare tire (an “advantage” that

Manufacturer’s like to tout). So eventually a tow truck de-

livered my car and me to the service shop just as daylight

emerged. There was no charge to me as towing is included

in the Roadside Assistance of my insurance company but

your insurance company may differ (do check on that).



We observed from the safety of the service facility parking

lot that a large size allen wrench was embedded in the wall

of the wheel well and the lower edge of the tire rim was

about 1-2 inches off of the ground. It appeared that the al-

len wrench punctured the tire and then got thrown off of

the tire into the wall of the wheel well. There wasn’t any

other obvious damage but the service technician comment-

ed that the edge of the wheel rim was closer to the ground

than it should be on a “flat” Run-Flat tire. When I men-

tioned how fast I was going when the flat occurred

(70+mph), he speculated that the extra rigid interior side-

wall of the Run-Flat tire may have been compromised due

to the speed factor.

Across the rest of the day I did more research and continued

thinking about my basic question, can you really drive on a Run-Flat tire with only 1psi of air it? The answer, it turns out,

depends on several things.

First, is the tire actually a “Run-Flat” tire or a “Self Sealing” Tire—or both? If you get them mixed up, you could do a lot of

unnecessary damage. Second, what is your environment—how far and how fast would you need to drive to get to a shop

that services tires and is it safe or necessary to drive there at no faster than 50mph and no farther than 50 miles (the typical

manufacturer speed limit for a run-flat tire)? On an expressway in a major city I would argue driving no faster than 50mph

is not safe. However, if there is no place to pull over you may not have a choice. In my opinion, shredding a tire and dam-

aging a wheel rim are better than getting ran into by another vehicle. On a remote road with no cell phone signal to call

Roadside Assistance, I would argue it could be safe and necessary to drive at or below the 50mph for up to 50 miles.

Understand that the longer you drive on

flat Run-Flat tires, the more likely they’ll be

unrepairable—and eventually you may get

to the point they come apart and then you

could potentially be driving on and damag-

ing the wheel rim. Run-Flats run hotter

when they’re low on air, and this can dam-

age their inner layers. Manufacturers rec-

ommend that before fixing a puncture, the

technician should dismount the tire and

inspect the interior to be sure it can be

saved.



So what exactly are Run-Flat tires?

Run flat tires are tires on which, under certain circumstances,

you can continue driving after a puncture so you can take time

get to an auto shop or find a safe, level area to change your

tire. You can’t drive on them indefinitely, though. The manu-

facturer specifies how fast and how far you can drive on your

Run-Flat tires. As mentioned earlier, most manufacturers will

state that run-flat tires will allow continued operation even

after a loss of some or all inflation pressure for up to 50 miles

(80 km) at a maximum speed up to 50 mph (80 km/h.).

I checked the websites for a few random brands of Run-Flat

tires and none of them mention anything about first making

sure the tire itself is intact after it goes flat. If the sidewall is damaged and/or the wheel rim is on or close to the ground,

you will probably end up shredding the tire and driving on your wheel rim regardless of whether or not they are Run-Flats.

I can tell you now from my personal experience, that when you are staring at a flat tire is not the time to be deciding if you

know what a Run-Flat tire can and cannot do.

How do Run-Flat tires work?

Most run-flat tires use one of two technologies; “self-supporting”

and “supporting- ring” (see pictures)

Self-Supporting Run-Flats have a very stiff, reinforced sidewall. If

the tire loses air, the sidewall stays on the rim and holds up the

vehicle. This is the most common type of Run-Flat.

Support –Ring Run-Flats have a thick ring, made of hard rubber

or other firm material, which encircles the inside of the rim. If the

tire loses air, the ring supports the vehicle as you drive.

What is a Self-Sealing tire and is it the same as a Run-Flat tire?

No, they have important differences to understand. Self-sealing tires use a different approach than Run-Flats although

some vehicles may have both features. The writing on the sidewall of the tire will tell you what type it is. Tires that are

only Self-Sealing contain an inner layer of sealant material along the tread. If a nail or other foreign object punctures the

tire, the sealant layer closes the hole to prevent the air from escaping, and the tire stays inflated. However, if the leak is

bad enough, the tire can still lose all air pressure before it seals itself. If that is the case and the wheel rim is touching the

ground, you will damage the wheel rim by driving on it. In the case of a self sealing tire that loses all pressure, you may



want to try to see if you can inflate it again. If it holds air then the

seal did take effect, albeit not fast enough upon the initial punc-

ture.

Both run-flats and self-sealers are all about the tread. A cut in the

sidewall will compromise a self-supporting Run-Flat tire’s ability to

hold up the vehicle. Self-Sealing tires don’t have a sealant layer in

the sidewall, and they can only handle punctures up to a certain

size in the tread. So if you have damage to the sidewall, neither

type of tire will allow you to drive further.

Things to figure out before your next drive:

1. Do employees know which type of tires they have on both work and personal vehicle; Traditional, Run-Flat, Self Seal-

ing, or a combination? Simply reading the sidewall of the tire should tell you. My car tires, as an example, have “RUN

FLAT” written on the sidewall.

2. Do employees know the factors they need to consider for potentially getting a flat on each type of tire? For example,

are they safe where they stopped? Can they safely inspect the tire from where they are stopped? Is there enough

pressure in the tire or is the Run-Flat feature holding the rim sufficiently high enough that you can drive on it? If it’s a

Run-Flat type and the tire appears intact enough to drive on, what are the manufacturer speed and distance limita-

tions for it and can you get to a service station in that distance? If it’s a self-sealing tire, did it retain enough pressure

after it sealed to drive without the wheel rim hitting the ground? If not, do you have a pump to add air and will it hold

air?

3. Do employees understand what type of Roadside Assistance they have available to them through the company or

through personal insurance depending on which car they are driving? For example is towing included and where is

the phone number for Roadside Assistance located in the vehicle?

4. Do employees understand what resources they have in the vehicle for a flat tire? Is there a spare tire, a jack, and/or an

air pump? Keep in mind most cars with Run-Flat tires do not come with a spare tire.

Summary

The increasingly common usage of Run-Flat and/or Self-Sealing tires in commercial and personal automobiles has intro-

duced new hazards. What you can and cannot do with each type of tire varies. Understanding what your options are

when you get a flat tire in one of these types of tires is worthy of learning about before you ever get in that situation.


PRISM SMS Training

Click Here to Register


https://www.argus.aero/training-classes/



Quote of the Month

Its important not to define safety as the absence of accidents.

BY: C he s le y B “ Sul ly” S ul le nbe rge r I I I

There are still people who don ’t believe their organization needs a Safety Management System (SMS)

because they have not had a major accident. If you think about it though, how often does an organization

experience an accident? Would you want to wait for a significant accident before you dedicate yourself and

your organization toward a more sophisticated and evolved approach to safety?

On Short Final….

lithium batteries - contour...

Documents