Lithium-ion Battery Fire Extinguishers

FlameStop Australia Industry Position

The ACCC has made it clear that lithium-ion battery fire extinguishers should not be marketed as suitable for use by members of the general public.

There is also currently no recognised Australian portable fire extinguisher performance standard or fire classification specifically for lithium-ion battery fires.

FlameStop believes the industry now needs to deal with the underlying safety issue.

Many products currently marketed as “lithium-ion battery extinguishers” are approved only as Class A water type extinguishers. A Class A approval may be entirely valid for ordinary combustible materials, but it does not provide approval for lithium-ion battery fire performance and it does not provide Class E electrical safety classification.

Lithium-ion batteries contain stored electrical energy and may also be involved in incidents while connected to chargers, inverters and other electrical equipment.

Under the existing Australian fire extinguisher framework, an extinguisher selected for an energised electrical risk must have the appropriate Class E electrical safety classification.

A lithium-ion suppression test, overseas test, in-house test or demonstration does not provide a Class E electrical safety classification.

What does this mean for you?

If you are selling, installing or maintaining an extinguisher specifically for a lithium-ion battery risk, ask:

Does the extinguisher carry a Class E electrical safety classification?

If the answer is no, FlameStop recommends that it is not sold, installed or maintained as protection for that lithium-ion battery risk.

The extinguisher may still be fully compliant and suitable for the Class A hazard for which it is approved. That does not make it suitable for a lithium-ion battery or other energised electrical risk.

Where these products are already installed specifically to protect lithium-ion battery risks and do not carry the appropriate Class E electrical safety classification, FlameStop recommends they be removed from service for that application. They should not continue to be represented, maintained or relied upon as lithium-ion battery fire protection.

Is the extinguisher for a lithium-ion battery risk? 

 A simple guide to help determine if a portable fire extinguisher should be sold, installed or maintained for a lithium-ion battery application.

FlameStop’s position

Until there is a recognised Australian lithium-ion battery portable extinguisher performance standard, and an extinguisher intended for that application also achieves the appropriate Class E electrical safety classification, FlameStop does not recommend the sale, installation or maintenance of portable extinguishers specifically as lithium-ion battery fire protection.

This is not about whether an extinguishing agent may cool or suppress a particular battery during a test.

It is about whether the extinguisher is safe, classified and approved for the hazard it is being supplied to protect.

Our position is simple:

Do not sell, install or maintain a portable extinguisher as lithium-ion battery protection unless it has the appropriate Class E electrical safety classification and recognised Australian approval for the lithium-ion battery application.

Further reading and independent guidance

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
The ACCC has stated that lithium-ion battery fire extinguishers should not be marketed as suitable for members of the general public and has confirmed there is currently no Australian Standard covering portable extinguisher performance on lithium-ion battery fires.
Read ACCC statement

Fire Protection Association Australia – TAN 09
FPA Australia identifies lithium-ion batteries as presenting an electrical risk and states that an extinguisher intended for lithium-ion battery fire suppression should carry Class E as a minimum electrical safety classification.
Read FPA Australia TAN 09

Country Fire Authority Victoria (CFA)
CFA provides guidance on lithium-ion battery fires and portable extinguishers and does not recommend the sale or servicing of extinguishers specifically promoted for lithium-ion battery fires until an appropriate Australian Standards testing and accreditation process is available.
Read CFA guidance

CSIRO ActivFire
CSIRO ActivFire has confirmed that there is currently no Australian Standard providing performance requirements for extinguishing lithium-ion battery fires and that ActivFire cannot certify a product as being able to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire.
Read CSIRO ActivFire guidance

Download a copy of this statement here