Japan Brings Tougher Safety Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Japan's government has recently decided to renew the safety standard for lithium ion batteries at a more constraining level. The reason for this action is the large number of accidents caused by malfunctioning batteries.

Mobile phone batteries of low quality can prove to be extremely dangerous. Even important leading producers have experienced problems with this type of products, but the main problem has always been the large number of counterfeit batteries that do not respect the safety standards.

Almost 10 million lithium ion batteries were recalled by Sony last year. The main issue was connected with the notebooks using these products. The problem persisted, as a recent report has showed the fact that more than 45 million batteries have been put on recall because overheating problems have occurred.

The main danger that this type of products presents is that they are being used for a huge number of electronic appliances. From personal computers and down to mobile phones, an average number of 17 percent of all global battery production is made up of lithium ion ones. Because of this, the risk of people being endangered by exploding batteries has worried the Japanese government.

In order to help the new safety standards for Lithium-Ion batteries take effect as soon as possible and with high efficiency, four major Japanese industrial organizations have joined forces. The Battery Association of Japan, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, the Communications and Information Network Association of Japan, together with the Camera & Imaging Products Association will work together in order to introduce the new regulations.

Japan's government intends to compile the new safety standard by the end of March, 2008. Moreover, they will also make a proposition for other countries to use them too, in order to reach global effects and prevent Lithium-Ion battery-related accidents from happening.