Matthew Partridge, Head of Product Development, Armorgard UK
Pick up almost any piece of kit on an energy or utility site and there’s a reasonable chance it runs on lithium-ion. Inspection tools, portable lighting, site communications, handheld monitoring devices. The shift has been rapid, and most of it has happened quietly. The batteries are just there now, part of the background.
That familiarity is part of the problem. When something becomes routine, the risk attached to it tends to fade from view. Battery safety on energy sites has a genuine gap. The habits and daily decisions of the people actually using these batteries haven’t kept pace with the technology. The conversation is still too focused on equipment and not enough on behaviour. It’s definitely a culture problem and fixing it starts with individuals.
How batteries actually fail
Lithium-ion batteries fail in three ways: physical damage, electrical faults and thermal failure. The first two are reasonably well understood; thermal failure tends to get underestimated.
Heat degrades battery cells gradually, often without any visible warning. Manufacturer guidelines typically place the safe charging window at 15 to 30°C, similar to the comfortable temperature range for most people. Outside that range, cell degradation accelerates. If left unchecked, this can trigger thermal runaway: a self-sustaining chain reaction where the battery generates heat faster than it can release it, and once that process starts, it’s extremely difficult to stop.
Often, there’s no obvious sign before it happens. No smoke, smell nor swelling. The root of the problem is that a battery looks fine, right up until the point that it doesn’t.
Why energy sites face a particular risk
A lithium-ion fire on any site is a serious incident. On an energy or utility site, the consequences can be truly alarming.
These fires burn at over 1,000°C and produce toxic gases. In proximity to substations, switchgear rooms and cable runs, a battery incident becomes a potential threat to critical infrastructure and everyone working near it. The risks compound quickly in enclosed plant rooms or poorly ventilated substations where gases from a failing cell have nowhere to go.
ISO 3941:2026, the updated international fire classification standard, introduced a Class L category specifically for lithium-ion incidents. These fires behave differently from Class A, B or C events. They resist extinguishing and re-ignite readily. The standard exists because conventional fire response doesn’t work.
Water ingress is another threat that’s easy to overlook, and it’s particularly relevant on exposed utility and renewables sites. Damaged battery casings or charging equipment left to liner in wet conditions represent a real risk, even when the sun comes back out the following day.
What individual workers can do
Safe battery operation comes down to good professional habits. There are a handful of practical steps that make a genuine difference.
The first is inspecting batteries before use. If there’s visible damage, swelling, discolouration or an unusual smell, don’t use it. Unusual odour, excessive heat, popping sounds, swelling and colour change are all warning signs that should stop use immediately. Report it and take it out of service.
Charge within the 15 to 30°C window. Don’t charge in direct sunlight or in a vehicle cab on a warm day. Don’t leave batteries on charge unattended, and don’t charge overnight without monitoring in place. The British Safety Council recommends that unmanned charging should be prohibited as policy.
Store batteries away from heat sources and direct sunlight. Never charge a damaged battery. Use only manufacturer-supplied or compatible charging equipment; third-party chargers should be PAT tested before use.
None of this is complicated, but the time needs to be taken to bake-in the right habits and getting your team to stick to them.
What managers need to do
Whilst individual behaviour matters, it feeds into the wider team. At the end of the day that’s management’s responsibility.
Charging areas should be ventilated and segregated from adjacent structures, applying the same logic used for gas bottles and fuel bowsers. Ventilation does two things: it prevents heat building up during charging, and it allows gases from a failing cell to escape rather than pressurise an enclosed space.
Site protocols for battery charging and storage should be clearly communicated, not buried in an induction pack. Class L is now the benchmark for lithium-ion fire events in the UK, and storage practices need to reflect that. The Met Office has confirmed that summers of 2025-style intensity are now around 70 times more likely than in a pre-industrial climate. Temperature management on site is no longer a seasonal precaution, it’s a year-round operational requirement.
Mangers must create a culture where workers feel comfortable raising concerns. If someone notices a battery that doesn’t look right, they should feel confident reporting it without hesitation.
Building the culture
Ensuring battery safety on energy sites is a shared responsibility. Individual behaviour forms the foundation: the decisions workers make every day about how they charge, store and handle batteries. Management oversight sits on the next later; setting the conditions and protocols that make safe behaviour the default. Physical safeguards sit at the top of the pyramid.
Of course, the equipment matters, yet it’s the underlying culture that decides whether an incident occurs in the first place.
