Exploding Note 7s may have changed the way Lithium battery are shipped  …

… What’s the long-term impact?

The run up to Christmas last year witnessed a spate of news stories about fires caused by hover boards. Concerns about the electrical safety of the products saw them banned by some airlines.

And you certainly won’t have missed all the news about Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7. CNET’s Sean Hollister monitored how it all panned out…

* ‘After 35 reported incidents of overheating smartphones worldwide, Samsung made the unprecedented decision to recall every single one of the Galaxy Note 7s. It stopped all sales and shipments and worked with government agencies and cellular carriers to provide refunds and exchanges.’

* ‘October 10, as many as five of the supposedly safe replacement Note 7 phones catch fire as well.’

* ‘October 13, Samsung officially recalls every single Note 7, including replacement units.’

But why did the phones explode in the first place?

Like hover boards and Smart phones, promotional power banks use lithium batteries too. Inside most is a highly flammable liquid. If a fault occurs, it’s possible for the flow of electricity to start heating the liquid. Enough heat and the liquid can catch fire.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 is not the only mobile that’s been known to do this! With the Galaxy Note 7 American Airlines (along with many other well know airlines and freight forwarders) felt it had no choice but to act – ‘… for the safety of our passengers, employees and other cargo, American Airlines Cargo  will no longer transport any Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices, including recalled and new replacement phones.’

At present the major airlines and an ever growing list of other air freight companies and  the IATA (the official regulatory body for the airline industry) are involved in ongoing reviews regarding the safe carriage of lithium batteries by air freight.

Until the results of the review become clear it’s tricky to know specifically how things will change regarding the import of phones and other devices. But many are preparing not only for a ban on all types of smartphone but on power chargers as well,

With effect from January 2017, lithium batteries will be classed as  dangerous goods,  and  FedEx will not be handling items with lithium batteries at all.  This then will affect how promotional power chargers can be transported quickly to global offices and overseas events.

Lithium battery transport latest updates can be found at: http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/cargo/dgr/Pages/lithium-batteries.aspx

Arcadia has established long-term relationships within its global supply chain and will always offer advice on any related issues that help to safeguard client reputations,  ensuring promotional products are ethically sourced and comply with EU regulations.

Make Memorable Merchandise

[mailmunch-form id=”172197″]

Jason Markwick

Having worked in Promotional Merchandise for the last 25 years I have been exposed to all aspects of the industry. Starting out as an account manager working with some of the worlds leading brands, I have learnt to understand the needs of a client, manufacturing processes, and what it takes to deliver a successful promotional campaign that is on brand, on time and within a given budget.