ONE OF THE biggest headaches for the Fire Brigade – and all the other organisations that work on community safety – is fires caused by lithium batteries being charged.
Now two organisations – the Fire Brigade and Uber Eats have formed a partnership which aims to education delivery couriers in how to stay safe. This is not just about keeping the couriers themselves safe. Couriers have a higher than average need to charge their electric bikes – and any fires that result from them doing so put their neighbours in danger.
The two partners are developing new educational modules for Uber Eats delivery couriers, delivered via an app. The modules focus on battery health and fire risks. The Fire Brigade is contributing expertise, making sure the training gives clear, practical information on factors such as using compatible chargers and what do if a battery starts overheating. Uber Eats will push the modules out to the couriers.
The Fire Brigade’s already works hard to spread awareness about the hazards of charging batteries, notably with their #ChargeSafe campaign. The London Brigade’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Field explained, “We launched our #ChargeSafe campaign in March 2023 when we started to see a rise in the number of e-bike and e-scooter fires. The number of fires sadly rose last year to the highest level since the campaign began. The worrying data means we need to ensure that every e-bike user has access to our important safety information to curb this alarming trend. Our firefighters have seen first-hand the devastating consequences when owners buy unsafe products online.
“Our 999 calls to these type of fires prove that there is a need for strong regulation to prevent the sale of unsafe products. Those that rely on e-bikes for work need to be protected from harm and be confident they are not bringing a fire safety risk into their homes.”
Merve Basci, UK General Manager of Uber Eats welcomed the partnership with the Fire Brigade, seeing it as “a vital pillar of our work to protect both our couriers and the communities we serve.”
●For more information, go to the #Chargesafe website; Chargesafe
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