High-tech batteries carry higher risk

We're all enjoying the benefits of new batteries, whether it's talking on our cellular phones, surfing the Internet on our laptop computer or driving our new hybrid or electric car, but like all sources of energy, the new cells have their limits and dangers.

Lithium batteries are the most popular of the new batteries, thanks to their high storage capacity and light weight.

But packing that much electricity into such a small space can be dangerous.

That fact is illustrated by last month's crash of a United Parcel Service jumbo jet in Dubai that killed both pilots.

The 747-400 was carrying a large quantity of lithium batteries. Smoke from a fire in the plane's main cabin, which was used for cargo, was so thick that the pilots told air traffic controllers they couldn't see their instruments as they struggled to land the plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration have urged air carriers to take voluntary steps to reduce the danger of overheated lithium batteries, such as identify them in shipping documents, and shipping them in cargo compartments where halon gas fire suppression systems have a better chance of extinguishing fires.

FAA tests have shown that as few as six batteries can explode with enough force to blow the lid off a steel container when exposed to enough heat.

Most of us don't handle large shipments of batteries, however, but we are likely to carry a cellular phone or use a laptop computer.

If your device does use a lithium battery, make sure it isn't charged too quickly, or short circuited, which can cause it to overheat and burst. Watch out for heat from larger devices like laptops, which can actually burn your skin on contact.

And, if a battery is damaged, don't try to make it continue to work. If the casing is breached, you're likely to receive a chemical burn. Dispose of it through proper reycling.

Yes, the new battery technology is wonderful, but like all types of energy, we need to treat it with respect.