Lithium-ion batteries now power forklifts, AGVs, company EVs and charging bays inside many factories, but most Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) were written for conventional fires. This guide shows how to close that gap in three steps — assess the hazard, write the response SOP, then place, inspect and train — and how to build Hi-PROTEC fire blankets into the plan in a way that supports an ISO 45001 occupational health and safety management system and stands up to audit.

Where lithium-ion risk sits in a modern factory

Lithium-ion cells can enter thermal runaway when damaged, overcharged or overheated — a self-sustaining chain reaction that produces intense heat and flammable, toxic gas, which standard water extinguishers struggle to suppress instantly.

Source	Typical locations	Where Hi-PROTEC applies
Company EVs and staff EVs	Car parks, charging bays, visitor parking	Primary use: sized at 6 × 8 m to cover a whole car
Electric forklifts and tow tractors	Charging rooms, warehouse aisles, loading docks	Covering the vehicle and confining heat and smoke
AGVs and mobile robots	Production lines, charging docks	Covering units in an open area, isolating heat from nearby equipment
Battery storage and spare packs	Stores, maintenance workshops	Part of the response kit; assess fit case by case
Fixed energy storage systems (ESS)	Battery rooms, containers	Follow the ESS maker’s and fire engineer’s specific measures

Mapping the ERP to ISO 45001

ISO 45001 clause 8.2 requires processes to prepare for and respond to the emergencies identified in hazard identification (6.1.2), including a planned response, training, periodic testing, evaluation after drills and real events, communication with workers and outside parties, and documented records.

ISO 45001 clause	What the ERP needs	Role of Hi-PROTEC
6.1.2 Hazard identification and risk assessment	Battery fire listed as a credible emergency scenario per area	Defines the control to be provided
8.1.2 Eliminating hazards and reducing risks	Controls chosen in the hierarchy of controls	An engineering control alongside preventive measures
8.2 Emergency preparedness and response	Planned response, equipment, drills, review	Core response equipment named in the SOP
7.2 Competence	Trained responders	Two-person deployment training and refreshers
7.4 Communication	Workers, contractors and the fire brigade informed	Signage, briefings, handover information
9.1 Monitoring and measurement	Equipment inspected and drills recorded	Inspection log and drill records
10.2 Incident and corrective action	Lessons learned after drills or real events	Post-use review and replacement

The blanket supports compliance; it does not deliver it alone. Compliance comes from the system around it: assessment, procedure, competence and records.

Step 1: Hazard identification and risk assessment

Add a lithium-ion battery fire scenario to the risk register for every area above. For each one, record: location and inventory (number of vehicles/forklifts/packs, charging locations, distance to people/stock/exits); triggers (mechanical damage, charging faults, overheating, poor-quality chargers or batteries); consequences (radiant heat to neighbouring vehicles and racking, smoke in enclosed buildings, flammable gas accumulation, reignition after apparent extinguishment); existing controls (fire detection, sprinklers, hydrants, separation distances, charging-area rules); and added controls (prevention first, then response equipment such as Hi-PROTEC, then training). Re-assess the risk with the added controls in place and keep the record as documented information.

Step 2: The response SOP

Role	Responsibility
First person on scene	Raise the alarm, call the internal emergency team and the fire brigade
Responder team (2 people)	Deploy Hi-PROTEC
Incident commander	Control the area, decide on evacuation, brief the fire brigade
Security / reception	Guide the fire brigade, control traffic and site access

Detect and alarm. On smoke, hissing or venting from a battery, raise the alarm and call the fire brigade immediately — before attempting any response.
Isolate. If safe, cut the charging power to the area and move people away and upwind.
Assess. The incident commander decides whether the blanket can be deployed safely. If the fire is already too large, evacuate and wait for the fire brigade.
Deploy. The two responders, in PPE suited to heat and smoke, pull Hi-PROTEC from its container, take the corner straps, approach from upwind and pull the blanket over the whole vehicle, sealing it against the floor.
Keep clear. Once deployed, the blanket must not be lifted or repositioned: flammable gas can accumulate underneath and there is a deflagration risk, especially indoors. Set a cordon.
Monitor and hand over. Watch for smoke, sound or heat until the fire brigade takes command, and give them the facts: battery type, time of event, actions taken.
After the event. The vehicle must be treated as a reignition risk and quarantined as the fire brigade advises. Record the incident, review the SOP, and have the used blanket assessed or replaced on Centrotec’s advice.

Step 3: Placement, inspection and training

Placement — mount the container in or beside each area in the risk register, keep it unobstructed, visible and marked with signage, and plan approach routes from upwind.

Inspection (add to the fire equipment inspection program): container in place, unobstructed, signage visible / container closed and undamaged (IP65 seal intact) / pull handles and straps visible and accessible / inspection date and inspector name recorded.

Training and drills — train every designated responder in the two-person approach-and-cover technique, include a lithium-ion scenario in the annual fire drill programme, and brief contractors, drivers and visitors on how to raise the alarm.

Audit evidence checklist

Evidence	ISO 45001 link	Where it lives
Risk register entry for battery fire, per area	6.1.2	Risk assessment
Selected controls and their rationale	8.1.2	Risk assessment / control plan
Written SOP with roles	8.2	ERP manual
Equipment specification and test report (SGS SDFTS25000559R01_EN, DIN SPEC 91489)	8.2 / 9.1	Equipment file
Training records for responders	7.2	Training register
Drill records with evaluation and actions	8.2 / 10.2	Drill log
Inspection records	9.1	Fire equipment log
Communication to contractors and the fire brigade	7.4 / 8.2	Briefing records, site plan

Need help building it into your ERP? Centrotec Co., Ltd. can survey your site, run a live demonstration for your responders, and supply the SGS report for your equipment file. Phone +66 81 899 1799, +66 36 222 822 · kittipat.centrotec@gmail.com

Strengthening Your Factory’s Emergency Response Plan: Managing Lithium-ion Battery and Thermal Runaway Risk