Lithium-Ion Safety

The Batteries You Forget About: Laptops, Power Banks and Tool Batteries

When people picture a lithium-ion battery fire they usually picture an e-bike. But the same chemistry sits in the laptop in your bag, the power bank in your drawer, the tablet on the bedside table and the tool batteries on the charger in the shed. These smaller cells fail in exactly the same way, and because they travel with us and charge unattended, they tend to fail in exactly the wrong place.

Small battery, same fire

A power bank or a laptop cell in thermal runaway behaves like any other lithium-ion failure. It can vent, ignite and spread within seconds, and it releases the same toxic gases. Size does not make it safe. What makes these devices dangerous is where they live: charging overnight on a bedside table, packed in a bag against papers and clothing, or sitting on a charger in a workshop surrounded by sawdust and solvents.

The places these fires start

• The office and the home desk. Laptops and monitors left charging on paperwork, next to curtains, or overnight on a soft surface that traps heat.
• Travel. Power banks and spare batteries loose in luggage, where a knock or a short can turn a small cell into a serious problem in a confined space.
• The workshop. Tool batteries charged in banks, often on timber benches near combustible dust and flammable liquids.
• The home. Power banks and old devices tossed in a drawer, forgotten, and left to swell or short over time.

A flat bag for flat devices

The 40 by 28 centimetre silicone-coated fibreglass bag is a slim containment enclosure made for laptops, tablets, power banks and tool batteries. Rated to 1100 degrees Celsius on instant contact and 550 degrees Celsius continuous, it isolates a device and holds in flame and heat if a cell fails, so one bad battery does not take a desk, a bag or a bench with it.

Being clear about what it does: like any containment product, the bag contains and buys time, it does not extinguish a thermal runaway. Its job is to keep a failing device isolated long enough for you to move it somewhere safe.

• Store a laptop or tablet in it when it is not in use or while it charges on a hard surface away from exits.
• Slip it into a bag for travel so a power bank is enclosed rather than loose.
• Keep tool batteries in it between jobs and on the way to and from site.
• Quarantine any device that has been dropped, is swollen, or is running hot.

Simple habits that cut the risk

Charge on a hard, non-combustible surface and never on a bed, couch or pile of paper. Do not leave devices charging unattended or overnight. Stop using anything that is swollen, damaged or hot, and use genuine chargers rather than cheap replacements. Store spares and suspect devices in a containment bag, and recycle old batteries at a proper drop-off point rather than the household bin.

For workplaces and fleets

Tool batteries, portable devices and charging banks are a real and often overlooked fire risk under WHS obligations. A containment bag is one of the cheapest controls you can put in place for that risk. If you run a workshop, warehouse or fleet and want to build it into your safety approach, get in touch and we can help you specify the right cover.

This article is general safety information only and does not replace manufacturer instructions or professional advice specific to your site. Always follow the guidance of your local fire service and the device manufacturer.