Concerns raised over new airfreight safety rule for batteries

A new safety rule on
transporting lithium
batteries by air conceived
by the US government
body, the Pipeline
and Hazardous Safety
Administration (PHMSA),
is likely to throw a
spanner in the works of
the international air cargo
industry.
The proposed ruling
goes well beyond the
current international
standards laid down by
the International Civil
Aviation Organisation
(Icao) and the International
Air Transport Association
(Iata).
The idea will have a
significant impact on not
only the air cargo sector
but also manufacturers,
wholesalers, retailers and
consumers of all electronic
goods, medical devices,
motor vehicles and many
other products, according
to The International Air
Cargo Association (Tiaca).
Anything that comes with
lithium batteries attached
– except batteries with a
lithium content of less than
0.3 grams or 3.7 Watthours
– will be hit.
Under the new rule,
such goods would have
to be stowed in a crewaccessible
location
except if they are shipped
in a Federal Aviation
Association (FAA)
approved container,
or a Class C cargo
compartment.
Such a move is taking
the safety element too
far, and would be an
unacceptable extra cost,
according to a Tiaca report
to the PHMSA.
“Given the prevalence
of lithium batteries in
today’s marketplace and
the substantial changes
to existing procedures
that would be required,
the proposed rule would
have a widespread adverse
economic impact,” said
Tiaca general-secretary,
Daniel Fernandez.
The reason behind the
new ruling, according
to Eddie Crane, MD of
Durban-based dangerous
goods specialists, EC
Logistics, is probably
because a recent aircraft
accident in the US was
attributed to an explosion
involving lithium batteries.
“When lithium leaks,
and comes into contact
with air, it can explode,”
he told FTW.
It’s a different story with
sealed lead acid batteries,
which, according to an SA
battery supplier, would
release a corrosive liquid
and toxic gas, but are not
classified as “explosive”.
But the PHMSA proposal,
Crane added, is on the
agenda for a June meeting
of the United Nations (UN), so it’s anything but
signed-and-sealed until
after that discussion.
For air cargo operators
in SA it’s a wait-and-see
situation, according to
Alwyn Rautenbach, MD
of Airlink Cargo and
chairman of the Air Cargo
Operators' Committee
(Acoc).
“We go by the 2010
issue of Iata’s regulations
on transporting dangerous
goods by air,” he said.
“This looks as though
it would introduce more
restrictions on lithium
batteries, but we’ll have
to see what the UN
discussions come up with.”
Tiaca says the best
approach would be for
PHMSA to adopt and
strictly enforce Icao’s
technical instructions
on the safe transport of
dangerous goods by air.