In response to recent compliance inspections where PHMSA’s hazardous materials (HAZMAT) investigators routinely saw shippers and carriers improperly package and ship lithium batteries for disposal or recycling, potentially causing fires, PHMSA issued a safety advisory for the Disposal and Recycling of Lithium Batteries in Commercial Transportation to increase the public’s awareness of the related dangers. This advisory provides a summary of the regulatory information needed for shipping lithium batteries in commercial transportation for recycling and disposal. As well as discusses the general dangers of shipping lithium batteries, what consumers should do, and steps shippers and carriers need to take when disposing and recycling lithium batteries and equipment / products containing lithium batteries. And lastly, this advisory directs readers to a variety of additional resources for further information on preparing lithium batteries for shipment.
This safety advisory notice is for anyone who prepares shipments for the disposal or recycling of lithium batteries, commercially transports used, damaged, defective, or recalled lithium batteries, disposes of lithium batteries, recycles lithium batteries, or uses equipment / products that employ or contain lithium batteries.
