If your employees wear small, wearable devices powered by lithium batteries – such as body cameras – they are potentially at risk from burns or other injuries if the devices catch fire or explode. Those outcomes may occur if the batteries are defective or become damaged. There were more than 25,000 overheating or fire incidents involving lithium battery-powered consumer products over a recent five-year-period, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Status Report on High Energy Density Batteries Project. Lithium-metal batteries are generally used to power devices such as watches, calculators, temperature data loggers, car key fobs, and defibrillators.
Many consumer products have practical applications in small and large businesses. Workers who wear or frequently handle lithium-powered devices or batteries are particularly at risk if a lithium battery catches fire or explodes since the device or battery is close to the body.