Lithium Battery Safety Procedures

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possible. The fact that this location is above the PORT fuel oil tank was taken into consideration in arriving at this recommendation. While it is not ideal, there is approximately 18” of space between the top of the tank and the underside of the main deck. In addition, Standard Operating Procedure requires that enough ullage to be left in the tanks to allow for heat expansion of fuel oil without risking overflow. However, this and all vessel arrangements should be kept in mind during any fire situation.
Batteries NOT in equipment:
It is the policy of the vessel that batteries be kept installed in equipment, whenever possible. However, for “mooring turnarounds” and other operations where this is not possible, the following precautions must be observed:
 Batteries should be kept in original manufacturer packaging. Whenever that is not the case, steps must be taken to ensure batteries are always electrically isolated from one another.
 Because this situation presents the highest density of lithium per unit of volume (many batteries in a container as opposed to spread out over many pieces of equipment), the danger is significantly increased. Therefore, special attention must be paid to the choice of stowage location. A nine‐ foot wide swath, longitudinally concentric with the Dry Lab (and the vessel) spans the open space between the twin hulls. If not otherwise contra‐ indicated, this is likely the safest area to stow these batteries.
 Wherever they are stored, always handle with care. Do not throw into a container. Batteries should NEVER be airborne. Place them gently and carefully in their place.
READY ACCESS:
In any case, lithium‐ion or lithium‐metal batteries, contained or not contained in equipment, should always be located and stowed such that they are readily accessible to extinguish in the event of a fire. Every effort should be made to clearly label containers and keep access unobstructed at all times.
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