NEWS
New rules from the US Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) that took effect in the US on 1 January ban travellers from carrying loose lithium batteries in checked baggage. Passengers are allowed to pack two spare batteries in their carry-on bag, as long as they are in clear plastic bags.
The TSA, however, has said it's safe to check in items such as a laptop or iPhone that already have the batteries in place.
The agency said loose lithium batteries not installed in devices pose a fire risk to passenger planes. Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board could not rule out the possibility lithium batteries started a fire in a plane at the Philadelphia National Airport last year, according to the Associated Press.
The batteries in carry-on luggage are also subject to certain rules. Batteries can only contain an equivalent of up to eight grams of lithium content. (Most batteries for mobile phones and laptops meet this requirement.) And for lithium metal batteries, whether carried as a spare or installed in a device, batteries are limited to two grams of lithium metal.
Desiree Everts writes for CNET News.com
Comments
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1. anonymous
In the first place, it's the Transportation Security Administration, NOT the "Transportation AND Security Administration."
In the second place, this is a hazardous materials rule, it originated from the Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (DoT/FAA) NOT the TSA.
The TSA also does not make the rules regarding, for example, having illegal drugs or kiddie porn in your baggage, they just inform the appropriate authorities if they find some. But I guess moral outrage, not to mention the easy target, trump accuracy, huh?
2. Jeremy Wickins
@ Anonymous - someone so determined to correct the errors in others should at least spell Seattle correctly!
More constructively, it is another example of over-reaction on the part of the Health and Safety lobby that is taking over the world. OK, in my opinion, only a fool would let spare batteries of any size roll around loose on a bag with unknown ways of gradually dischrging them, but the risk of anything other than finding the battery is discharged when you need it is negligible.
Let's face it, when a passenger is told about this, who are they going to blame - the TSA or the body that initiated the rule? That's right, the TSA, because it has a reputation for heavy handed, ill -researched, knee-jerk rules that increase hassle without actually increasing security. In evidence, I give you the water restrictions, despite chemists telling anyone that listens that there is no sensible way of producing a liquid bomb that couldn't already be detected!
3. Mark Hosey
Any moderately high capacity battery presents significant fire risk if discharged catastrophically through an inappropriate medium. A PP3 discharging through steel wool is a recognised fire risk in the home. A hair pin shorted across the terminals of a laptop battery will glow red hot and melt in a few seconds, time enough to set fire to your hand luggage.
All batteries, no matter what size, should be transported individually in sealed containers to minimise any fire risk. (I was once present when a collegue inadvertantly shorted out two fully charged lead acid batteries. There was a lot of smoke, a lot of sparks, a lot of heat, a lot of panic and a whole lot of swearing.)