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Concerns raised over increase in unsafe disposal of lithium-ion batteries
Experts are warning that incorrect disposal is likely to lead to an increase in recycling plant fires. Just last month, CCTV footage showed a devastating fire in an Aberdeen recycling plant, with lithium-ion batteries suspected to be the cause.
According to not-for-profit organisation, Material Focus, nearly 700 fires a year are caused by batteries that have been thrown into household waste. In particular, lithium-ion batteries are said to be responsible for over 200 of all waste fires occurring in the UK each year.
IFSEC Global has already reported on the growing concerns of lithium-ion battery fires, such as those in e-bikes and e-scooters – several transport authorities have already banned them from being carried on their networks.
But these batteries are also commonly found in smaller household items, such as electric toothbrushes or mobile phones. E-cigarettes are also an issue, with Material Focus finding that around 1.3 million disposable vaping devices are thrown away each week, despite being fully recyclable.
The British Metal Recycling Association (BMRA) has called for new rules to prevent households throwing away unwanted electrical equipment, with waste electrical and electronic equipment linked to three times more fires inside bin lorries and recycling centres than initially thought.
Fire Safety Regulations 2022: What you need to know
New Fire Safety (England) Regulations are coming into force on 23 January 2023. The fire safety team at law firm, Addleshaw Goddard, explain the background, what fire safety professionals need to be aware of and the challenges ahead.
The Government continues to implement new legislation following the Hackett review and Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This has resulted in amendments to the existing Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order) which governs day to day fire safety.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 (FSA 2021), came into force in England in May 2022 and is now fully operational in both Wales and England.
Amidst the publicity associated with the passage into law of the Building Safety Act and the significant challenges it imposes for all operating in the built environment sector, it is important to note that there are also very challenging new fire safety regulations – the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (Fire Safety Regulations) – which are coming into force on 23 January 2023.
Fire Risk Assessment guide: What is it and how do you get one?
As a process of identifying fire hazards and evaluating the risks to people, property and assets, a fire risk assessment carried out by a competent person is a crucial part of ensuring a premises takes as many precautions as possible to prevent the risk of fire. Here, IFSEC Global in association with fire, security, risk and resilience consultancy firm BB7, provides a beginner’s guide to what you need to know about fire risk assessments and the duties of the responsible person and fire risk assessor undertaking them.
What is a fire risk assessment?
A fire risk assessment is a process of identifying fire hazards and evaluating the risks to people, property, assets and environment arising from them. It takes into account the adequacy of existing fire precautions, and helps the assessor decide whether or not the fire risk is acceptable without further fire precautions.