The 54^th Edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulation that became effective on January 1^st, 2013 has some significant changes with respect to the packing requirements for Lithium Batteries. These changes affect both Lithium ion batteries (UN 3480) and Lithium metal batteries (UN 3090).

The new Regulations are becoming more restrictive specifically towards the smaller batteries that many people would be most familiar with. In the past, large Lithium ion batteries that might be used for machinery were fully regulated and this is not changing.  The people who will notice a difference are those who send batteries for cell phones, laptops, toys, and other small items.

ICAO has put forth a recommendation that a one-month transitional grace period should be allowed, which would permit the use of the 53^rd Edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulation (2012 Version) until January 31^st, 2013 for shipping Lithium ion batteries and Lithium metal batteries.

http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dgr/Pages/lithium-batteries.aspx

In this way, shippers are still granted the option to use the current version of the Regulations to package batteries that are to be sent early in the new year.

Due to the increased quantity of classification within Packing Instructions 965 (Lithium ion batteries) and 968 (Lithium metal batteries), there is a greater likelihood for non-compliance through mistakes.  Shippers who have used the same routine for some time will now be required to further analyze their shipments and gather more information than in the past. Along with the familiar Lithium Battery Label (Fig 7.4.I [53^rd Ed.] / Fig 7.4.H [54^th Ed.]), there are four new requirements for some small Lithium batteries:

Lithium Battery Label
(Fig 7.4.I [53^rd Ed.] / Fig 7.4.H [54^th Ed.])

1. A Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods is required
2. Package requires Class 9 hazard label (Fig. 7.3.V [53^rd Ed. / 54^th Ed.])
3. Package requires gross weight to be marked on it
4. Package requires ID Number / Proper Shipping Name / Addresses

Hazard Class 9 Label
(Fig. 7.3.V [53^rd Ed. / 54^th Ed.])

Where in the past, many consignments of small batteries only required the Lithium Battery label, soon this will not be the case.  It is exactly because of this drastic change that ICAO put out its recommendation for the grace period.

Furthermore, it should be understood that for small Lithium cells and batteries, there is further classification that requires the shipper to be conscientious of not only the total gross weight of the package, but also the quantity of cells and batteries inside.  Below is a table that shows what was allowed in 2012 and compares it with what is allowed in 2013.

Whether its glass, plastics, cardboard or other packaging, we are conscious of where we put things and the impact it has on our everyday lives. But there are still many recyclable items that are not being disposed of properly and end up in our landfills.

Many people are unaware that single-use batteries may contain materials that are harmful to our environment if disposed of incorrectly, and it’s our responsibility to ensure that doesn’t happen. Here are some myths and truths about the life of a battery.

Myth: Someone sorts out batteries and other potentially harmful wastes from my garbage.
Fact: Batteries that wind up in the garbage end up as pollutants in landfills.

• Not only do batteries not get sorted when improperly disposed of, they end up in our landfills and could harm people, animals and our environment by leaking into the ground and contaminating our drinking water.
• Recycling your batteries by dropping them off at a local battery drop-off site ensures that they avoid ending up in landfills and can help make our communities more sustainable.

Myth: Once a battery dies, it has no other use.
Fact: Used batteries still have life.

• Properly recycled batteries have valuable materials that can be recovered and used as ingredients in producing new goods.
• Metals such as zinc and manganese are carefully extracted and then used in fertilizers to grow corn. Steel can also be recovered from batteries and used to manufacture new materials.
• In fact, it is much more efficient to recycle a metal than mine it from the ground.

Myth: Recycling batteries is not convenient.
Fact: There are over 2,000 drop-off locations in Ontario that accept single-use batteries, and more are being added every week.

You can help batteries go from single-use to multiple uses, decreasing the strain on our environment and helping to create new products from old ones.

Visit your municipality’s website to find your nearest drop-off site.
www.newscanada.com

Small consumer-type primary lithium cells or batteries (lithium metal or lithium alloy) like those used to power cameras, and flashlights and consumer-type lithium-ion cells and batteries like those used to power cell phones and laptop computers; mailing these batteries internationally is now prohibited.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) published a Final Rule on May 14, 2012, amending Title 39 CFR, Part 111 regarding the acceptance and transport of lithium batteries in international mail. At the International Civil Aviation Organization Dangerous Goods Panel (ICAO DGP), the Universal Postal Union (UPU) adopted provisions allowing the acceptance of certain lithium batteries in international mail. However, since international mail is transported by air carriers and the ICAO DGP has jurisdiction over Dangerous Goods in civil aviation, the international mail is still subject to the ICAO Technical Instructions.

To align with the continued prohibition of lithium batteries in international mail as maintained in the ICAO TI, the USPS has adopted changes to their International Mail Manual (IMM) and Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) reflecting the prohibition to all types of lithium batteries, installed or otherwise, in international mail. The USPS has also adopted less restrictive changes to the DMM regarding lithium metal and ion batteries and cells in domestic mail. These changes include a requirement to mark packages containing only batteries or cells with specified language, a limitation on the number of batteries packed with equipment, a weight limit on packages containing lithium batteries, and size and watt hour limitations similar to Title 49 CFR, Part 172, §172.102, Special Provision 188, etc.

Please review these changes with your company’s mail room or mail departments to ensure compliance with the USPS requirements. The Final Rule became effective May 16, 2012.

Read the final rule here

You can always call us in the US 888.442.9628 or in Canada 888.977.4834, if you have any questions about shipping lithium batteries.

Lithium batteries come in two types: lithium metal, which are single-use, and lithium-ion, which can be recharged. Both store energy that generates intense heat during a short circuit. A short can occur if metal touches both terminals or if internal seals fail.

Lithium batteries have revolutionized electronics. Tiny cellphones equipped with cameras or music players would not be possible without the wafer-size lithium-ion rechargeable battery that powers them. Sophisticated medical devices depend on long-lived lithium metal batteries. The growing energy stored in the small batteries also creates a hazard. If the batteries short-circuit, they can produce intense heat, and most of the batteries contain flammable chemicals.
A battery fire in a carry-on bag would be more easily detected and controlled by crew, and, given the popularity of laptops and cell phones, banning them in carry-ons would be difficult. Regulators are caught in the middle. But if you think about being on a passenger plane and one of these catches fire — even if the crew can control it, that’s a bad situation with all the smoke.

A plane is bad place for a battery

According to government and industry officials, the world’s insatiable demand for more power is clashing with safety needs on aircraft. “It is a critical safety issue,” said Bernard Loeb, a former chief aviation accident investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). “Any event that involves the potential for fire on an airplane is very serious.” The potential for lithium batteries to ignite was first raised as a safety issue in 1999, when fire broke out in Los Angeles in a load of 120,000 lithium batteries that had just arrived aboard a Northwest Airlines flight from Japan. Northwest employees doused the batteries with a fire hose, but each time they thought they had extinguished the fire, it flared up again.

Lithium batteries have become commonplace and the Regulations regarding their transport now affect a wider audience. Because of this, IATA has developed an information document to assist shipper’s, freight forwarders, ground handling agents, airlines/operators and passengers in complying with those Regulations.

You can download a Guidance document (pdf) on the transport of lithium metal and lithium ion batteries developed by IATA for complying with the 53rd (2012) edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) on classification, exceptions, packaging, passenger provisions and frequently asked questions.

Packing instructions 965-970 from the 53rd Edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations applicable to lithium batteries on passenger and cargo aircraft and CAO are broken down into three (3) sections for easy understandability; general requirements applicable to all battery shipments assigned to that packing instruction, Section I, applicable to the “fully regulated”, Class 9 battery shipments assigned to that packing instruction and Section II, applicable to the “excepted”, battery shipments assigned to that packing instruction.

You can download these documents at Download documents

2012 Guidance Document

ICC Compliance Center offers a variety of solutions to help shippers comply with shipping lithium batteries by air.

See our solutions >>

Most people thinking of “hazardous materials,” picture trucks full of chemicals, factories, dumps oozing slime, and by-products of our synthetic society. Actually, you need look no farther than under your kitchen sink or in your garage to find hazardous materials. Surprised? Every home can be a warehouse of hazardous materials. We spend millions of dollars annually on cleaning projects to scrub, scour, soak, dust, wash, wax and disinfect our homes. Unfortunately, if used improperly, these products can endanger our health, the air quality in our homes, pollute the environment and the water we drink. The average household contains between 3 and 10 gallons of materials that are hazardous. Let’s look at what is considered hazardous and why.

A few common corrosives include: metal cleaners with phosphoric acid; drain cleaners that contain sulfuric acid; spot rust removers with hydrofluoric acid and drain cleaners and oven cleaners containing sodium hydroxide. All of these are hazardous to the skin–they are also hazardous to the environment. Corrosive means capable of dissolving or wearing away gradually, especially by chemical action. Corrosive hazardous materials are those that, in the wrong container, eat through the container. A simple example is putting paint thinner in a plastic cup–the cup dissolves right before your eyes!

Around the house you may also have flammable and combustible materials used for multiple purposes. Flammable materials are substances that will catch fire and easily burn at normal temperatures, while combustible products may catch fire if ignited or exposed to flame. Gasoline is not the only flammable and combustible product you may find at home. Other substances that can cause serious damage or fire are diesel fuel, propane, butane, turpentine, kerosene, lighter fluid, paint solvents, oil, spray paint, pesticides, dry cleaning agents and cleaning fluids, nail polish, perfume, and more. Many of these items indicate “do not store near heat” or “keep in cool, dry place.”

Reactive materials are those which during routing handling tend to react spontaneously, to react vigorously with air or water, to be unstable to shock or heat, to generate toxic gases, or to explode. Reactive is not to be confused with “radioactive” which means “radiation emitted as a consequence of a nuclear reaction.” Reactive processes can best be illustrated by the simple process of putting vinegar into a container with baking soda. Some drain cleaners rely on the reactive process. They may contain sodium bisulfate which, when mixed with water, makes a weak sulfuric acid. Bleach and many scrubbing and dishwashing detergents contain chlorine bleach and if put in contact with ammonia, lye or acids will form a toxic gas (CL2).

By far the most identifiable of hazardous material signs is the skull and crossbones indicating “poison.” Toxic materials are those that may release poisons in sufficient quantities to pose a substantial hazard to human health. Most cupboards and closets are full of toxic materials. From air fresheners to carpet deodorizers, medicines to vitamins, mothballs to oven cleaners, the potential poisons are numerous. The “toxic” quality is assumed by ingestion (swallowing), dermal intake (through the skin) or inhalation of the chemicals in a quantity sufficient to cause harmful effects. The materials themselves can often be used safely and can be very beneficial or necessary to the body (as in the case of some vitamins or medicines).
Many hazardous materials may present two, three or more hazards. As an example, an acid is corrosive, it can be toxic if ingested, and when it meets chlorine it is reactive.

There are probably many hazardous materials throughout your home. Take a tour of your home to see where these materials are located. Once you have located a product, check the label and take the necessary steps to ensure that you are using, storing, and disposing of the material according to the manufacturer’s directions. It is critical to store household chemicals in places where children cannot access them. Remember that products such as aerosol cans of hair spray and deodorant, nail polish and nail polish remover, toilet bowl cleaners, and furniture polishes all fall into the category of hazardous materials.

Now, those hazardous materials must go somewhere. The container, when empty, is rarely completely empty. When the paint thinner has been used, or when the oil has been drained, it must go somewhere. All hazardous materials have the potential for becoming hazardous waste. These materials and eventual wastes are dangerous to people and animals; the dangers of explosion, fire, or reaction are constant in their storage. Check your local household hazardous waste programs.

How much do you know about hazardous materials in your home? Take this quiz from Carefirst Blue Cross and find out.

http://carefirst.staywellsolutionsonline.com/RelatedItems/40,HazardousMaterialsHoQuiz