NFPA proposes new standard for Battery Safety.
The NFPA recently shared important news regarding the agency’s proposed initiative to enhance battery safety standards and regulations, addressing identified gaps in the current framework.
The proposed standard, tentatively named “NFPA 800, Battery Safety Code,” aims to operate in a manner akin to NFPA 1, Fire Code. It will draw from existing and forthcoming standards such as NFPA 855, NEC, UL standards, and others, ensuring comprehensive coverage of battery lifecycles and safety elements. This approach will facilitate collaboration among technical committees and involve a wide array of stakeholders in crafting new standards and requirements to bridge existing gaps.
The scope of this initiative encompasses developing standards that safeguard life and property from fire, electrical, and associated hazards posed by batteries throughout their lifecycle. These standards may address various stages, including but not limited to raw material handling and storage, manufacturing, warehousing, installation, decommissioning, reuse, recycling, and disposal.
For more information and to express interest in contributing to the development process, please visit www.nfpa.org/batterysafety.
The deadline for comments and applications to serve on potential technical committees is July 12th, 2024. The proposal will undergo review for standards development at the upcoming Standards Council meeting scheduled for August 27-29th, with outcomes documented in the meeting minutes.
Background
Batteries are increasingly being used in a widening array of applications, from consumer products and micromobility to electric vehicles and utility grade energy storage systems. To properly address the hazards presented by batteries, a holistic approach to battery safety is needed. Battery safety ideally should be considered throughout the entire lifecycle: from raw material storage and battery production through warehouse storage, transport, use, second use and eventually recycling or disposal.
Currently, codes and standards exist which address aspects of battery safety, but there is no single, comprehensive code that harmonizes all pertinent codes and standards as the bigger picture. Comprehensively addressing the battery lifecycle could help identify and address gaps in safety by providing additional requirements to advise and support local authorities in determining the specific codes and standards applicable to battery hazards that arise in their communities.
The development of NFPA 855, Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems, created a forum for battery interests to raise safety needs and concerns, to be addressed through the NFPA standards development process. As the battery industry continues to evolve, NFPA 855 is being utilized as the primary place to address general battery safety issues, resulting in scope expansion beyond energy storage systems as initially intended; clearly identifying a gap in guidance for general battery safety beyond use in a given installation.
The absence of a comprehensive roadmap for battery safety supports a need for a new NFPA standards project to provide a uniform path of battery safety for all stakeholders. Creating a new standard specifically addressing fire, electrical, life safety and property protection issues related to batteries will allow focused attention on the unique challenges posed by batteries without diluting the focus of NFPA 855.
New Standards Development Activity on Battery Safety
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is considering the development of a comprehensive standard, proposed as NFPA 800, Battery Safety Code, to provide uniform, minimum requirements to address fire, electrical, life safety, and property protection from battery hazards. Requirements are anticipated to include fire, explosion, and other dangerous conditions related to battery technologies as experienced through the lifecycle of a battery: raw materials and battery production through storage, use, and end of life. It is the intent to reference existing related standards, by NFPA and other standards developing organizations, where applicable and focus on developing requirements where there are gaps.
Request for Comments
Specifically, NFPA is seeking comments from all interested organizations and individuals to gauge whether support exists for:
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The development of standards to address known hazards associated with batteries;
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The development of standards to provide minimum requirements to ensure fire, electrical, life safety and property protection throughout the life cycle of batteries;
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The development of standards to minimize loss and damages resulting from current and future battery technologies.
Please submit your reason(s) for supporting or opposing the initiation of standard development as proposed to stds_admin@nfpa.org no later than July 12, 2024.
Request for Potential Candidates for a Technical Committee
Additionally, NFPA is seeking potential candidates for a Technical Committee should the Standards Council initiate standards development on the proposed project. If you, or your organization is interested, please submit an application, in addition to your comments in support of the project, online at:
(You will need to be logged-in on NFPA.org before selecting the online application link. Log-in or create a profile)
*Note: Applications being accepted for purposes of documenting applicant interest in committee participation. Acceptance of applications by NFPA does not guaranty or imply the Standards Council will ultimately approve standards development activity on this subject matter.
