Avoiding Short Circuits

A primary risk of shipping lithium batteries is short circuiting, which can occur when the battery terminals make contact with one another, with metal surfaces, or with other conductive materials. To prevent short circuiting, batteries must be packaged in strong and rigid outer casings, unless the batteries are already installed inside equipment. When the battery is contained inside equipment, the equipment itself must also have ample protection, including strong and rigid casings.

The IATA recommends the following methods to help prevent a short circuit:

• Packing each battery or each battery-powered device, when practicable, in fully enclosed inner packagings made of non-conductive material (such as a plastic bag)
• Separating or packing batteries in a manner to prevent contact with other batteries, devices, or conductive materials (for example, metal) in the packagings
• Ensuring that exposed terminals or connectors are protected with non-conductive caps, nonconductive tape, or by other appropriate means

To learn more about Lithium Batteries HAZMAT visit our DOT Lithium Batteries HAZMAT Online Training web page.