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Shipping Lithium Batteries with CHEMTREC

24/7 Emergency Response Number.

Laptop, cell phone, watch, cameras. Everyone you know has one of these and probably takes it everywhere with them and without thinking twice. More products are using these batteries than ever before. However, when lithium ion batteries overheat, it may result in fires, explosions or leaks. Being exposed to an external heat source can also cause lithium ion batteries to go into thermal runaway. Due to these and other safety concerns, lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials and those shipping lithium batteries must adhere to domestic and international regulatory shipping requirements.

As they are becoming more prevalent, the frequency of safety incidents when shipping batteries also increases. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration reported a significant jump of 30 incidents from shipping lithium ion batteries between 2015 and 2017.

Is your company in compliance with the evolving regulations for shipping lithium batteries? If you aren’t, you are at risk of penalties and fines that could amount to thousands of dollars per violation.

Transporting is a delicate process.

The shipping regulations for lithium batteries vary based on the mode of transport - air, ground or vessel. Each of these have a unique set of guidelines on how to ship lithium batteries safely and properly.

International air transportation has the strictest rules. Standalone lithium batteries are only allowed on cargo aircraft to protect passenger flights in case of fire or explosion. Defective or recalled batteries are not permitted to ship via air transport. Even when batteries are permitted on cargo flights, there are rules that must be adhered to. For example, the batteries must be below 30 percent charge in order to ship in cargo aircraft. Most companies don’t have the ability to test every battery’s charge, so ground and ocean transport are the best options.

Regardless of the transportation method you are using, there are still many regulations your company must address if you are going to be shipping lithium batteries. Some of those include:

  • Packaging requirements vary depending on battery size and quantity.
  • The number of packages that can ship to the same recipient at once is limited.
  • Documentation rules vary depending on battery watt or gram ratings.

Do you know these rules and are you fully prepared to comply with them? Are you prepared to make adjustments to your methods as the rules change?

Count on the experts.

CHEMTREC is an easy way to comply with the safety regulations for shipping lithium batteries. By streamlining the process of shipping and transporting lithium batteries, we give you peace of mind with professional support. We establish a critical link between shippers, carriers, emergency response and medical personnel, chemical specialists and law enforcement agencies during incidents relating to shipping lithium ion batteries.

When you register with CHEMTREC, you’ll receive an emergency response phone number to place on your Safety Data Sheets (formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets), shipping documents, lithium battery mark labels and other hazard communication documents, helping you comply with U.S. DOT and international hazmat shipping regulations. You’ll also gain access to an extensive array of services including access to medical professionals, language interpretation services, in-country phone numbers for international compliance and more.

CHEMTREC can help reduce risk and internal burdens so your organization can succeed and grow. By subscribing with CHEMTREC, you’ll also receive access to our partner, LabelMaster. Together, we supply the appropriate handling marks and labels for shipments containing lithium batteries.

As lithium batteries are used in more products, shipping regulations will continue to evolve. Industry partners like CHEMTREC will help keep your company up to date with these complex regulations surrounding hazardous materials, especially lithium ion batteries.

What do you get with CHEMTREC?

  • Emergency contact number for your SDS, shipping documents, lithium battery handling marks and labels
  • 24/7 support by our trained Emergency Service Specialists
  • Compliance with domestic and international regulations
  • Immediate notification of all incidents involving your shipments
  • Instant access to medical professionals
  • Unlimited Safety Data Sheet (SDS) storage
  • Inside Zone, Outside Zone and Global Coverage service options

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