iAQUA Ocean Safety Lithium Safety Store Awarded

MCA MGN 681 (M), UL, BSI, ASTM INTERNATIONAL & ISO

THE iAQUA Ocean Safety Lithium Safety Store™ has been awarded the highest levels of safety certifications, for the storage and transport of lithium batteries.

Engineers at iAQUA designed the world’s first lithium battery fire and fuel safety storage box to exceed the highest standards of fire safety and containment that exist.

The Lithium Safety Store™ aims to prevent catastrophic fires on board all modes of transport including air, road, sea, rail, and of course superyachts, as 1,000 spontaneous lithium battery fires are reported every week.

It is now certified to the British Standards Institute EN 14470 - European Standard governing the internal storage of highly flammable substances, and the American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM D4919 – 03(2008), for the storage and carriage of lithium-ion by air or sea.

In addition, the product has also been certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation ISO 16104:2003, for transport, storage, and packaging of lithium-ion and dangerous goods, and Underwriters Laboratories UL 94V-0, the highest rating from the Standard for Tests for Flammability.

“I am delighted to announce our safety certifications, as well as becoming fully compliant with MCA MGN 681 (M) for fire safety and storage of small electric powered craft on yachts.

“These are all the highest levels of safety certifications that exist, and I am not aware of any other similar products that have also passed these certifications,” iAQUA Ocean Safety stated.

The Lithium Safety Store™ boasts four early warning signals and has an in-built temperature sensor, which connects to mobiles, sends alerts by SMS text, email, and via the App on Android or iOS, as the first early warning.

This feature means the yacht captain and up to 10 people can be alerted to any fire, even while not on board and manage the situation without the loss of a vessel.

Adding a SIM card as a back-up, the Lithium Safety Store™ will send a text message as a second warning before a 100-decibel alarm sounds with a temperature-activated flashing red light.

The Safety Store is constructed with a 1-inch-thick Kevlar inner liner and specially formulated UL 94VO-rated insulation to contain heat of up to 2500°F.

UL 94VO inner core keeps the exterior heat to below 100°C even whilst the inner temperature is over 1,000°C. It is also the highest-rated level of flame resistance and means the material will self-extinguish in less than 10 seconds once the flame extinguishes.

The Kevlar inner shell contains the explosions that happen once lithium-ion thermal runaway commences. There can be over 100 powerful explosions if one e-foil battery spontaneously combusts.

The stackable Safety Store can be handed with protective gloves when an internal fire is underway, allowing for quick movement or disposal.

Available in three sizes, for holding and charging smaller items such as banks of walkie-talkies, VHF radios, PDA/laptops, torches, and drone batteries in the crews mess or bridge; or larger lithium batteries found in handheld power tools, iAQUA and SEABOB sea scooters, larger e-foil, and e-board removable batteries, and even e-bike batteries, or whole dock scooters.

They are also fully certified to contain other hazardous and flammable materials such as flares, gas canisters/bottles, gasoline, and other flammable liquids.

With polished 316 stainless steel fittings, a lifetime warranty, and boasting a weatherproof high-gloss fibreglass outer casing, the Safety Store is designed to give protection for years, and look smart. It can be painted in bespoke colours.