US DOT PHMSA will host a virtual meeting of the Lithium Battery Safety Advisory Committee on May 4, from 9 AM to 5:30 PM EDT. Anyone interested can access the meeting on
PHMSA’s website.
The committee is tasked with establishing communication between manufacturers of lithium ion and metal cells and batteries, manufacturers of products containing them, and the Federal government. This communication is intended to promote safe transportation of lithium ion and lithium metal cells and batteries.
Committee members include airlines, manufacturers, retailers, and safety and packaging specialists. The most recent meeting was held on September 22, 2021 (
Meeting Minutes).
The Lithium Battery Safety Advisory Committee was created under Section 333(d) of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018. Placement on the committee is by nomination, which was last
conducted in 2019.
Revised Lithium Battery Air Regs in Effect As of April 1
As of April 1, 2022, lithium-ion and -metal batteries or cells shipped separately by air must be packaged, labeled, and documented according to stricter standards. These shipments will no longer be accepted
when prepared under Section II of the relevant IATA
Dangerous Goods Regulations (
DGR) Packing Instruction.
Shippers can continue to offer lithium batteries separately by air but must prepare these packages according to Section IA or IB of the appropriate PI. The revision affects transportation of two UN ID numbers: UN 3480 and UN 3090—which are shipped by air using IATA
DGR Packing Instructions (PI) 965 and 968, respectively.
Shipping Lithium Batteries Training
Lion's
Shipping Lithium Batteries online course covers the latest regulations for shipping lithium batteries in equipment, with equipment, or separately by ground, air, and vessel, including new IATA DGR standards for air shippers.
The course provides hazmat general awareness, security awareness, and function-specific training to help satisfy US DOT (49 CFR), IATA
DGR, and
IMDG Code training mandates for logistics leaders and hazmat employees involved in shipping lithium batteries by all modes of transportation (
Learn more).