London-based freight insurance provider TT Club is calling for greater emphasis on the critical dangers of toxic gas emissions arising from lithium-ion battery fires.

A spate of conflagrations on pure car/truck carriers (PCTCs) involving shipments of electric vehicles has drawn greater attention of late to the control of fires and fire risks associated with li-ion batteries.

However, the TT Club considers that there is less awareness of the highly toxic combustion products that are released, and of their impact on the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the gases. Pertinent to those that work at sea, the dangers are accentuated in confined environments.