Lithium-Ion battery incidents increasing: survey

August 23, 2017

TOKYO- Incidents involving lithium-ion batteries used in laptop computers and smartphones, such as fires and heat that led to damage to the bodies of users and surroundings, are increasing in Japan, a survey by a government-affiliated institute has shown.

A total of 274 cases of such incidents occurred in Japan in the five years through fiscal 2016, which ended in March this year, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation said, calling for caution when using such devices.

The number of incidents stood at 19 in fiscal 2012, 33 in fiscal 2013, 48 in fiscal 2014, 66 in fiscal 2015 and 108 in fiscal 2016.

Of the five-year total, 110 involved laptop computers, 108 mobile batteries, and 56 smartphones. About 30 pct of the overall cases affected products subject to recalls, suggesting that some of the incidents could have been prevented if the goods had been returned to manufacturers for repairs or parts replacements, NITE said.

In a case in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, in January 2015, a mobile battery on display at a shop caught fire and burned the product and its surroundings. Jiji Press