TSA limits lithium batteries on planes

[Spin Echo]

Didn't see this posted elsewhere

Baggage Ban on Batteries Begins
14 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — To help reduce the risk of fires, air travelers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning Jan. 1, the Transportation Department said Friday.

Passengers can still check baggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carryon baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.

The ban affects shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as those made by Energizer Holdings Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.'s Duracell brand.

"Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires," Krista Edwards, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said in a release.

The Federal Aviation Administration has found that fire-protection systems in the cargo hold of passenger planes can't put out fires sparked in lithium batteries.

The National Transportation Safety Board earlier this month said it could not rule out lithium batteries as the source of a cargo plane fire at Philadelphia International Airport last year.

Hæ? You think we would have gotten a little more heads up on this at least.

[Adrian Laguna]

Was there really such a big threat in the first place? I'm having trouble seeing batteries of all things as dangerous things.

[Darth Wong]

Was there really such a big threat in the first place? I'm having trouble seeing batteries of all things as dangerous things.

Batteries have been known to burst into flames under the right conditions, and there is no such thing as a trivial fire aboard an airplane.

[Zablorg]

Was there really such a big threat in the first place? I'm having trouble seeing batteries of all things as dangerous things.

Batteries have been known to burst into flames under the right conditions, and there is no such thing as a trivial fire aboard an airplane.

What about smoking sections in planes? Or don't they have those anymore?

[Darth Wong]

Was there really such a big threat in the first place? I'm having trouble seeing batteries of all things as dangerous things.

Batteries have been known to burst into flames under the right conditions, and there is no such thing as a trivial fire aboard an airplane.

What about smoking sections in planes? Or don't they have those anymore?

Planes are all non-smoking nowadays, at least in all the major airlines. Certain airlines still allow smoking onboard, such as Air Pakistan. I'd rather not fly with them.

[FSTargetDrone]

"Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires," Krista Edwards, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said in a release.

This is good advice to store batteries in general, whether it be in the home or in airplanes. Keeping batteries loosely stored in a drawer or something similar is not a good idea.

I remember when the common advice was to install batteries backwards in an electronic device, but I think the best thing would be to keep them separate in their own packaging, or at least securely wrapped up.

Don't forget all the oddly-shaped batteries found in PDAs and such. Usually their contacts are right next to each other on one end of the battery (unlike most single-cell batteries). If you have one of those loosely stored in a bag it can short out even more easily than something like a AA-sized battery. All it needs is a paper clip or other bit of metal falling across the terminals as things get jostled about. 9-volt batteries have the same problem.

[Eleas]

Batteries have been known to burst into flames under the right conditions, and there is no such thing as a trivial fire aboard an airplane.

Not only that, there've been incidents where they actually detonated like firecrackers. Surrounded by metal, you'd have quite the lethal little object there.

[Magus]

"Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires," Krista Edwards, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said in a release.

And yet, neither of these methods are listed as alternatives to allow spare batteries to be brought on board as carry-on. I wonder why?

[Zed Snardbody]

"Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires," Krista Edwards, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said in a release.

And yet, neither of these methods are listed as alternatives to allow spare batteries to be brought on board as carry-on. I wonder why?

You mean in baggage I take it.

The issue lies in TSA's baggage screening is quite automated. The checkpoint allows for easy bag searches to see if the batteries are in a package or bag. In a baggage inline system its a lot more complicated. A blanket ban in luggage will mean planes wont have to be delayed while every bag is searched to confirm if the battery on the screen is in packaging or not.