NTSB: New rules needed for air shipments of batteries

Lithium-ion batteries should be separated from other flammable cargo and the amount of batteries in a single cargo pallet or container should be limited, Chris Hart, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in a letter to the government agency that sets rules for transporting hazardous materials.

Rechargeable batteries, which are widely used in consumer electronics like cellphones and laptops as well as some cars, can short-circuit and ignite for a variety of reasons, including when they are damaged, contain defects, are packaged incorrectly, or exposed to extreme temperatures.

At the behest of the battery and consumer electronics industry, Congress passed a law in 2012 prohibiting the government from issuing regulations regarding the shipment of lithium batteries that are more stringent than standards issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. panel.