Safety standard for batteries planned

The government said Wednesday it will set up a mandatory safety standard for lithium-ion batteries following a series of accidents involving them, sources said.

The government plans to compile the standard this fall and revise related ordinances so it can be introduced by the March 31 end of this fiscal year, the sources said.

The move follows a number of recalls of defective batteries due to their danger of overheating and causing fires.

Last year, Sony Corp. announced a recall of about 9.6 million lithium-ion batteries in the wake of a fire sparked by notebook computers containing such batteries. Most recently, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. announced a global recall of 46 million batteries due to overheating problems.

Because of their small size and high capacity, lithium-ion batteries are used in a wide range of appliances, including personal computers, digital cameras and mobile phones. About 1 billion lithium-ion batteries were made last year, accounting for 17 percent of all batteries made that year.

The government believes it is necessary to ensure the safety of the batteries because mobile appliances containing them could cause a serious accident if they catch fire on airplanes or trains.

By adding lithium-ion batteries to the "special products" category under the consumer product safety law that took effect in May, the government will oblige makers to adhere to state safety standards.

Among ideas for the safety requirements, the government is considering urging makers to confirm that lithium-ion batteries do not catch fire even when they are artificially damaged or tiny metallic particles are mixed in the batteries during the manufacturing process.

Given Japan's large exports of lithium-ion batteries, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry aims to make the planned standard an international one by proposing that other countries adopt it.