> From: "King, Richard G - (kingr)" <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
> Subject: Re: Friday Pondering - Concern about exploding batteries
> Date: February 26, 2016 at 2:57:50 PM EST
> 
> 
> I thought the fire code 232 for storage facilities says no battery chargers in the storage area.  Big or small it's a charger with attendant risks.  Is that right Hugh?  Dick King, University of Arizona - Records Management and Archives

Larry is always better at assembling the specifics but the Standard speaks to separating office functions and threats from the records storage compartments with a fire rated wall. The standards speak to vaults, archives and file rooms.

Records centers should not have charging stations within the records storage areas. If you note, the generator and the batteries for records centers and server rooms are typically in their own fire resistant compartment to create compartmentation from that which must be protected.  But lithium batteries of the type you mention might be brought up at a future NFPA 232 discussion to speak specifically to these risk sets.  Batteries have always been a threat.  They age, the explode, the leak acid and so on.

NFPA talks about protecting against electrical systems in multiple spots and goes so far as to call for placing light switches outside of vaults so a spark that occurs when a switch is just flipped does not occur in the records storage vault. Discussions about batteries could be implied in some of these statements.

5.2 Electrical Systems.

5.2.1 Installation and modifications to provide for the changing needs of the records center or archive, including lighting, television, sound systems, shop machinery, and appliances, shall be made by licensed or qualified electricians in accordance with NFPA 70.

6.11.1 All electrical service within the vault shall be enclosed in conduit and installed in accordance with NFPA 70. 

This electrical standard is very comprehensive.
7.1.6* Each storage compartment shall be designed to contain fire from spreading to any adjacent records storage compartment.

7.1.6.1 Fire barrier walls separating records storage compartments shall be a minimum of 2-hour fire-resistive construction.

7.1.6.2 Fire-resistive construction shall be in accordance with NFPA 221.

7.10.3.1 No other electrical devices or appliances shall be permitted within the archive. 

This would speak to keeping devices away from the records which might include batteries.
7.10.3.3  Power-limited circuits shall be permitted within the archive.

8.11.3.3 Power-limited circuits shall be permitted within the file room. 

Circuits in vaults and archives are often controlled by ground fault or arc breaker circuits which flip the breaker at any type of short circuit but this would not help you with a battery controlled device.  It is known these devices become more unstable as they age.

If you think that small electrical circuit are of little consequence; I remember how on our honeymoon, my wife and I were in a small hotel called the Chemin de Fer in Paris. My wife plugged in her hair dryer and promptly blew out the main circuit in the hotel and everyone lost power. A little while later after power was restored, she again tried to dry her hair and again blew out the entire hotel’s power.  I was smarter then and told her “Don’t worry, it couldn’t possibly be you affecting the whole hotel with a little hair dryer.”

If you are the type, and by that I meant the good type, that worries about risks to your records, you should tour your offsite storage center with a copy of NFPA 232 in hand.  Start of looking for egregious things like a lawn mover sitting in a corner with a can of gasoline next to it. Look for extensions cords. Why are there extension cords? What are they running? Are they frayed. Look for their charging station for forklifts or do they use propane in the records center.  Is the dumpster close to the back door?

I know only a few of our group do this but a walk through of your in-house records center and your offsite storage center while paging though a NFPA 232 will be a worthwhile effort and show that you are a professional.  Don’t let your company hire a consultant to come in and perform this audit and make you look like you don’t care.  Be pro-active.

A line from Seinfeld where Kramer’s attorney says “ A Balm! a balm? You never know what a balm will do?”  And that applies to lots of little things in life.  Don’t be afraid to say “Why are we doing this?  Why is this here? Why?



Hugh Smith
FIRELOCK Fireproof Modular Vaults
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