Recognising a DDR battery
A battery is treated as damaged or defective when it has been involved in an accident, shows physical damage, has been exposed to water or fire, has a known internal fault, or has been identified by the manufacturer as defective for safety reasons. Signs include swelling, dents, leaking electrolyte, unusual odours, heat, smoke or voltage behaviour that the battery management system flags as abnormal.
The next question is whether the battery is liable to react dangerously under normal conditions of carriage, for example by rapidly disassembling, producing a dangerous evolution of heat or venting flammable, toxic or corrosive gases. That assessment changes the packaging and transport requirements significantly, so it should be made by trained personnel using the manufacturer's information where available.
Handling on site
DDR batteries should be moved to a designated quarantine area away from buildings, vehicles and healthy battery stock. The area should be monitored, ideally with thermal imaging or temperature sensors, and have a clear response plan. Where possible, the battery should be isolated electrically and its state of charge reduced, but only if that can be done safely.
Documentation begins at the point of identification. Record the battery's serial number, the nature of the damage, photographs, any thermal events and the actions taken. That record informs the transport assessment and is essential for the recycler, who needs to know what they are receiving before the vehicle arrives.
- Isolate in a designated, monitored quarantine area
- Photograph and record damage and any thermal events
- Do not attempt disassembly without trained staff
- Notify the recycler before booking collection
Transport requirements
Damaged or defective lithium batteries move under dedicated provisions. Under ADR, for example, special provision 376 applies, with packing instructions such as P908 or LP904 for batteries not liable to react dangerously, and P911 or LP906 for those that are. These packagings are typically metal or other robust containers with non-combustible, thermally insulating cushioning.
Batteries liable to react dangerously may be forbidden in some modes or require approval from the competent authority. Air transport of DDR batteries is generally forbidden. Collection vehicles should carry trained crews and emergency equipment, and the receiving facility should be ready to accept the load into its own quarantine area immediately.
Field note
Planning for recalls
Recalls can generate large numbers of suspect batteries in a short period. Manufacturers and fleets benefit from agreeing surge capacity, packaging stock and quarantine space with their recycler in advance, together with a clear triage process to separate batteries that are simply subject to the recall from those that are actually damaged.
A recall plan should also cover data: serial numbers, locations and status of every affected battery. Good tracking lets collections be scheduled efficiently and gives regulators and customers confidence that suspect units are being handled properly.