Fire safety and research centre opens after €3m investment

Centre intended to help address the growing challenge posed by lithium-ion batteries

A €3 million fire safety training and research centre intended to help address the growing challenge posed by lithium-ion batteries has been open by Cork based EHS international on Monday.

The firm said the 11,000 sq ft facility will provide advanced fire and safety courses, including firefighter robot training, intended to deal with a range of increasingly complex fire related safety challenges.

The emphasis on lithium ion battery safety comes as e-scooters using the batteries were banned from public transport due to the fire risks involved.

“As e-scooters and e-bikes become more popular, the fire hazards from compromised lithium-ion batteries are rapidly increasing, said company founder and CEO, Chris Mee. “The occurrence of these fires is growing rapidly worldwide with a 46 per cent increase in recorded fires in the UK from 2022 to 2023. These fires have resulted in multiple deaths, countless injuries along with unknown long-term health effects from the inhalation of toxic vapours.”

He said the company wanted to be the first in the EU “to research, test and develop new viable, cutting-edge solutions for the market to allow for the safe removal, storage, and transportation of lithium-ion battery cells across industries.

“To achieve this, we’re going to be investing heavily in research and development. Our team is already planning breakthrough solutions using technology, AI, and robotics.”

EHS was established in the early part of last year by Mr Mee and has grown quick since through a number of acquisitions. The firm specialises in fire safety training and consultancy.

The firm says the new facility at Little Island will feature a range of immersive training tools including a synthetic smoke system and a configurable search and training space.

The issue of fire safety in relation to lithium-ion batteries has received a growing amount of attention over recent years. Although the number of incidents in Ireland has been relatively low, the devices are reported to have been responsible for 104 fires in inside buildings in New York City in the nine months to September 30th and almost twice that number when other locations, include refuse collection trucks, are taken into account. There were three fatalities, down from 14 during the same period last year after extensive publicity campaigns regarding safety. The device can burn with an intensity that causes particular challenges for firefighters.

Announcing its ban on the devices on public transport here on Monday, Transport for Ireland said “these batteries are known to develop internal faults, leading to overheating and combustion. This has resulted in recent fires and thick black smoke on board public transport in Madrid and Barcelona.”

Reporting on:irishtimes.com