Westchester Insider: Westchester County Legislator Margaret Cunzio 3rd District: DES Highlights Lithium Ion Battery Safety During Fire Prevention Week.

 

The Department of Emergency Services is warning residents of the fire danger posed by the improper use of lithium ion batteries.

Lithium ion batteries can be found in a wide range of devices, including cordless power tools, cordless vacuums, laptops, tablets, cell phones, e-bikes and e-cigarettes, to name a few.

The following are a few safety tips provided by experts:

• Do not charge any device under a pillow, on a bed, or on a couch or arm chair;
• Keep batteries at room temperature and avoid placing them in direct sunlight or in a hot car;
• Store batteries away from anything flammable;
• Do not leave batteries and devices unattended when charging;
• Only use the battery and charging cord that came with the device;
• Do not dispose the battery with household trash;
• Immediately stop using any battery that is emitting an unusual odor, leaking, changing shape or making unusual noises.

Westchester residents can make an appointment to dispose of these batteries at the County’s Hazardous Materials Recovery Facility in Valhalla. To do so, go to environment.westchestergov.com. 

Residents with questions about lithium ion and other batteries can call the County’s recycling help line at 914-813-5425.

For a related video, go to: https://www.facebook.com/WCDES/videos/403709055122702