FLYING well-equipped for business and pleasure gets a little more complicated with new US Department of Transportation rules that bar travellers from packing loose lithium batteries in checked luggage.
The move is designed to help minimise the risk that batteries could overheat and catch fire on board, the agency’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration says.
The new rules say travellers can bring a laptop computer, digital camera, mobile phone and other equipment on board or in checked luggage if their lithium batteries are installed in the items.
And passengers can bring spare batteries in carry-on luggage if they are stored in plastic bags or if they are in the original retail packaging. But travellers can bring only two such spare batteries, and each must be packed separately.
The Wall Street Journal
By: old shape - 11th January 2008 at 17:50
(a) I’ve seen a test on an exploding lithium battery, you don’t want that on an aircraft.
(b) The batteries that brought the A/c down (Mentioned above) were massive industrial batteries, one of which caught fire in the hold because a trip switch on the side of it had been left off, and the boxes were also incorrectly marked as discharged, when in fact they were fully charged.
(c) Pistachio nuts can be classed as an explosive, they will be next 🙂
By: PMN - 9th January 2008 at 23:31
Thanks, PMN, it happens that I have a rather nifty tight-fitting plastic cap for precisely that reason (to prevent a short-circuit)
I’m not quite that sensible, I just throw my batteries in a bag together.
Then again, I’d like to see someone even purposely try short a BP-511A battery out with another BP-511A battery!
Paul
By: Papa Lima - 9th January 2008 at 19:44
Thanks, PMN, it happens that I have a rather nifty tight-fitting plastic cap for precisely that reason (to prevent a short-circuit), but it’s good to let others know that a battery plus car keys, etc. are not good travelling companions in the same pocket!
By: PMN - 9th January 2008 at 19:23
I fail to understand how a plastic bag is going to stop a lithium battery overheating
I think the idea is to remove the possibility of the battery shorting out.
This does seem a rather extreme measure, and I’m not just saying that because I regularly fly with 2 DSLR bodies (with spare batteries), a laptop, mobile phone (with spare battery), etc…!
Paul
By: Papa Lima - 9th January 2008 at 14:51
I fail to understand how a plastic bag is going to stop a lithium battery overheating and setting your pocket on fire! (I often keep a spare camera battery in my pocket).
It sounds to me like an extension of the knee-jerk and ineffective, even nonsensical, security rules enforced by mindless, underpaid “security officers”.
Rant over by someone who was a very frequent flyer before 9/11 and now prefers avoid commercial flights if at all possible, thanks to the airport hassles!
By: T5 - 9th January 2008 at 14:31
This is going to mean even longer in line at security, as staff search not only for cans of deodrant, soft drinks and other potentially lethal liquids, but now also batteries! 😡
By: zoot horn rollo - 9th January 2008 at 12:27
I seem to remember that a 747 was brought down some years back with the likely cause being a consignment of batteries which overheated
By: B77W - 8th January 2008 at 17:24
What they don’t know, wont hurt them! 😉
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January 8, 2008 at 12:36 am