UN38.3 Certification for Lithium Batteries

UN38.3 CERTIFICATION

Lithium batteries have been designated by the United Nations as “Dangerous Goods” as far as transport regulations are concerned. This means that the transport of Lithium batteries on their own or with equipment is regulated by national and international agreements to ensure the product is safely transported. UN38.3 certification is therefore required.

The transportation of primary and rechargeable Lithium batteries is regulated by the European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road: ADR 2015, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Technical Instructions and corresponding International Air Transport Association (IATA), Dangerous Goods Regulations, and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.

UN38.3 TESTS

Under the terms of these regulations it is necessary to show that lithium batteries meet the requirements of a series of safety tests defined by the United Nations, often referred to by the relevant section number as UN38.3 tests. These tests only have to be performed once for each cell or battery type of a given design. Additional testing may be required when a previously tested cell or battery undergoes design or construction changes.

We can arrange for batteries to be tested through a network of test houses in Europe and Asia. However, it is possible to transport prototypes and small production runs by road and sea before performing these tests.

PACKAGING

In addition to the testing requirements, there are regulations on how lithium batteries must be packaged for safe transport. Different requirements apply depending on the mode of transport, the highest level of packaging is required for air transport. However, in order to transport batteries by air requires company employees to be trained independently to IATA standards. Our team has been trained to these requirements.

We also offer a standard range of UN38.3 lithium batteries held in stock to offer a quick and cost-effective service to our customers.