he National Fire Protection Association is set to publish its new Battery Safety Code, NFPA 800, on a provisional basis, marking the first full lifecycle standard for battery safety covering manufacturing, transport, installation, operation, emergency response, and end-of-life management.
The code follows an accelerated development process driven by the rapid expansion of lithium-ion technologies across construction, energy, and industrial sectors.
When damaged or overcharged, lithium-ion batteries can enter thermal runaway. On active construction sites, these risks are amplified by temporary charging setups and inconsistent supervision.
NFPA 800 introduces energy thresholds and maximum allowable quantities that determine when additional safeguards are required, and aligns with existing standards including NFPA 241, NFPA 70, NFPA 72, and NFPA 855. For construction and facilities professionals, these thresholds will directly influence how batteries are stored, charged, and managed on active sites.
“Lithium-ion batteries are now embedded in almost every aspect of construction activity, from hand tools through to temporary power systems,” said James Pecz, vice president of Ramtech North America and member of the NFPA 72 Temporary Fire Alarm Notification Task Group, in a statement. “What has changed is not their presence, but the scale and speed of adoption. That has created a gap between operational reality on site and the consistency of fire safety frameworks designed to manage these risks.”
The standard is expected to remain valid for two years while it moves through the NFPA’s development process.
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