Lithium-ion battery incidents are increasing across industries. Construction sites face particularly high risk, with some estimates indicating that a typical crew handles 40–60 lithium-ion batteries per shift, increasing the chances of damage, overheating, and failure-related incidents.

CONN-OSHA consultation services recognize the need to better educate construction companies on the safe use, charging, and storage of lithium-ion batteries, as well as proper emergency response procedures for fires and incidents involving damaged or overheating batteries.

To address this, they created a safety toolbox talk and training presentation and distributed it to general contractors and their subcontractors. One contractor, Professional Drywall Construction, Inc., used this material to begin implementing on-site lithium-ion battery safety training:

• Trained over 200 employees
• Distributed approximately 75 LiPo storage packs (two bags each) and
• 40 fire blankets across 20 active jobsites in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York.

According to the company’s safety officer, “Collaboration with CONN-OSHA has significantly increased awareness of lithium-ion battery hazards among the general contractors and subcontractors our employees work with.”

The OSHA On-Site Consultation Program offers no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards and how to fix them, provide advice for compliance with OSHA standards, train and educate workers, and assist in establishing and improving safety and health programs. On-Site Consultation services are separate from OSHA enforcement efforts. To locate the OSHA On-Site Consultation program nearest you, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit www.osha.gov/consultation.