Agenda item

Report attached.

Members considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad, BEM JP, Leader of the Council, in support of the Electrical Safety First campaign to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries (used in e-bike and e-scooters) and their disposal.  Councillor Dad indicated that the request had been forwarded to him by the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority.

Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in e-scooters and e-bikes had multiplied fourfold since 2020, resulting in deaths, hospitalisations, homelessness, and staggering financial losses.  These kinds of batteries stored a significant amount of energy in a very small space and were much more powerful than other types of batteries.

Since 2020, there had been over 1,000 fires nationally, with nearly 200 people injured, and over a dozen fatalities.  Homes had been destroyed and the cost to the UK ran into £billions.  The UK was now facing a disturbing projection of nearly one e-bike or e-scooter fire per day this year, a significant leap from just over one per week in 2020.

In Lancashire, there had been a year on year rise in lithium-ion battery related fires in the last three years, and three quarters of them had involved a charger.  When batteries were charged in communal areas or escape routes, a fire could quickly block the way out.  On occasions batteries could fail catastrophically; they could explode and lead to a rapidly developing fire.

Lancashire fires from Lithium-ion battery 2020-23

Incident data indicated the following:

• 29% of incidents involved e-bikes, e-scooters, or hoverboards.
• Fires had mainly started in a bedroom or living room.
• All Lancashire districts had experienced incidents.
• Half of incidents occurred between 3pm and 11pm.

Lord Foster and Electrical Safety First (UK Charity dedicated to reducing the deaths and injuries caused by electricity), with cross-party support, were promoting The Safety of Electric-Powered Micro mobility Vehicles and Lithium Batteries Bill, to ensure greater safety in the use and disposal of lithium batteries.  They aimed to get the Bill into law as soon as possible when Parliament reconvened.

This Bill had received support from many national organisations, including the National Fire Chiefs Council, most County Fire and Rescue Services, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Royal Society for Public Health.  In addition, two coroners had called for the law to be tightened to ensure greater safety.

Prominent voices like the National Fire Chiefs Council, local Fire and Rescue Services, insurance companies, and various organisations had issued warnings about the gravity of the lithium-ion battery situation.

The National Fire Chiefs Council had backed the charity Electrical Safety First who were now contacting all local authorities seeking support for this campaign regarding improved safety standards of e-bikes and e-scooter batteries.  A change in legislation was needed to help prevent fires and ensure that the products in people’s homes were safe.

The safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries was also a key issue, as batteries thrown in household rubbish bins had been linked to an increase in waste fires.  Research had shown that lithium-ion batteries were responsible for around half of all waste fires occurring in the UK each year, costing the UK economy some £158 million annually.

The Campaign – Proposed Legislation

A summary of the proposed legislation dealing with these mounting challenges was as follows:

Clause 1: Safety Assurance - This clause mandated a third-party safety assessment, conducted by a government-approved body, for all e-bikes, e-scooters, and their lithium-ion batteries before they entered the UK market.  This process mirrored safety measures in place for other high-risk products like fireworks and heavy machinery.

Clause 2: Responsible Disposal - This clause required the Government to make regulations ensuring the safe disposal of lithium batteries once their lifecycle ended.

Clause 3: Comprehensive Fire Safety - This clause assigned the Government the responsibility of comprehensively addressing fire-related concerns.  This involved enhancing safe usage, charging, and storage practices for these devices.  It included setting standards for conversion kits and charging systems and considering a temporary ban on the sale of universal chargers that heightened fire risks.

Additional Clauses: The remaining clauses handled technical definitions and empowered devolved assemblies.

The Bill proposed policies to regulate the safety standards for e-bikes and e-scooters, and lithium batteries and their safe disposal.  Ultimately, this Bill would save lives, and help to prevent injuries and damage caused by lithium-ion batteries.

Unlike other high-risk products, such as fireworks or medical devices, e-bike and e-scooter manufacturers could self-declare safety compliance before their products entered the UK market.  Clause 1 of the Bill proposed third-party safety certifications for these products, to enhance product and consumer safety.

Clause 2 of the Bill aimed to enhance the safety of lithium battery disposal in response to their documented role in causing fires at waste disposal and recycling sites.  These regulations could apply to all types of lithium batteries ? which were used in a variety of products, including disposable vapes ? not just those utilised by e-bikes and e-scooters.

Clause 3 of the Bill required the Secretary of State to establish regulations specifying the safety standards for micro-mobility conversion kits.  It would also require all micro-mobility vehicles to have either a non-proprietary charging system with a communications protocol, or a proprietary charging system with a matched charger.

Councillors Andrew Clegg, Paul Cox and Clare Pritchard spoke in favour of the proposals.  Councillor Zak Khan enquired if the Council had appropriate safety measures in place to control the hazards posed by batteries in council equipment.  Councillor Dad summed up by indicating that Lancashire Combined Fire Authority had lots of information available and that officers would seek advice from them as appropriate.  It was hoped that the Council’s motion would help to raise awareness with the public and that any subsequent legislation would further increase safety.

Resolved                                    -    That the Council supports the Electrical Safety First campaign and the new bill ‘The Safety of Electric-Powered Micro-mobility Vehicles and Lithium Batteries Bill’ to improve the safety of lithium-ion batteries.