TIACA warns over US battery rules

Proposed changes to US government rules has sparked TIACA into life. TIACA have issued a warning to all that these proposed new rules concerning the transport of Lithium batteries by air would have a major impact on the air cargo sector and it's customers.

The new rules, planned by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) would differ from those already in place under the International Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO). It would see the removal of an exception for most small, consumer type batteries. Under the new rule only batteries with a lithium content of less than 0.3g or 3.7 Watt-hours would remain exempt but still with much more stringent stowage restrictions.

The irony of these new restrictions is that they would only apply to US Carriers flying anywhere in the world but not to US carriers flying. This means ICAO rules would still apply to European and Far East airlines flying into and out of the US.

The new rules in Summary.

Lithium batteries, widely used in consumer electronic prodcuts and medical devices.

• To be stowed in a crew-accesible location
• To be stowed in an FAA approved container
• To be stowed in a class C cargo compartment

This latter option, a class c compartment is a bellyhold compartment fitted with smoke/fire detection and halon gas fire-fighting systems.

TIACA believes that this plan would impsoe significant burdens on US air cargo operators and would impose limits on the number of air cargo shipments being flown containing lithium batteries.  The Rechargable Battery Association estimates that billions Lithium Batteries have been airfreighted over the past 10 years.

The option of FAA approved containers also appears to be a red herring with no such containers presently existing.  Apporval by the FAA would take some considerable time so this option is not open to Air Cargo Operators and their freight forwarding customers at the present time.  There is only limited cargo space which is crew accesible on most passenger and freighter aircraft. 

Tiaca have called for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to defer the proposal whilst they re-assess the risk against the impact on retailers and consumers. 

Safety has to be the over-riding factor when looking at all cargo carried on aircraft but a risk assessment study needs to look at Lithium Batteries and the dangers they present when carried by air.