Fire risks related to lithium-ion batteries and their legal implications are discussed in a recent article by condominium lawyers Nancy Houle and James Davidson. They point to the importance of choosing certified products and properly disposing batteries. But what does that really mean on the ground?
Selecting Certified Products
For years, rechargeable products would generally be purchased from reputable vendors, whose purchasing agents would ensure that the chargers, and products with built-in chargers, met Canadian standards. But today, with the proliferation of online shopping, consumers can buy almost anything from almost anywhere. Rechargeable batteries are installed in thousands of products: toys, healthcare, tools, and of course, e-bikes and e-scooters. It is so tempting to buy the latest gadget at the lowest price, but we can no longer trust vendors to protect our families and buildings from fire. We have to protect ourselves.
Canada has strong testing agencies in place and one of its roles is to minimize risk. Buying uncertified products means that you have entered the wild west. But many products appear to be labeled with what looks like a certification, making it very confusing. Some even include the appropriate logo, but are, in fact, counterfeit.
In Canada, under the jurisdiction of the Electrical Safety Authority, the approved certifications for chargers, and charging blocks, are CSA, cUL, cETL, and CTUV. They have specific logos that must be used on the product. Each of the symbols will be accompanied by a control or listing number, also printed on the product, usually below the label.
All three testing agencies have free online directories where you can check that the information on the label aligns with a listing. These directors can be found at the following links: Search Product iQ | UL Solutions; CSA Group Product Listing – CSA Group; and Intertek ETL Listed Directory.
For more information visit this link and canada.ca.
Many products online are marked with a CE logo, which is a European certification. However, this mark is not approved in Canada. The CE mark does not imply any third-party testing, and it relates to a 230V power grid, which is different from our 120V Canadian grid.
Currently in Canada, certification is only required for products that connect directly into the grid. In the case of rechargeable equipment, this is limited to the charger or charging block only. The battery in the product itself is not currently required to be certified. This is proving to be a problem as some fires relate to poor quality batteries. Health Canada completed a consultation on battery safety early in 2026 and may develop legislation requiring certification of certain batteries, battery management systems and third-party testing.
Only the charger sold with the device should be used. The critical issue is that the voltage must match – using the wrong voltage could lead to overheating or fire. The amperage also matters, but somewhat less. Some equipment will automatically only draw the amperage needed, but some poorer quality equipment may not, and this too could generate heat and fire risk.
Many products with rechargeable batteries don’t come with their own charger. The good news is that if they are USB-C, and you use a certified USB-C charging block, there is a handshake system included that ensures that the voltage received is limited to a safe level. All you need to do is use a quality USB-C cable, so the wire itself doesn’t overheat.
Boards can’t force residents to check that the charger that comes with every toy and tool they buy meets these requirements, but they can be part of the solution through resident education. The City of Toronto and Toronto Fire Services have some safety posters available, and Canada has a web-page dedicated to lithium-ion battery safety.
Safe Battery Disposal
Batteries are causing a significant rise in the number of fires at waste disposal facilities where they can become bent, warped, impacted or otherwise damaged. This potential fire risk underscores the need for safe disposal.
Each municipality has different rules for disposing these batteries. For example, in Toronto, batteries are considered “household hazardous waste” and they cannot be disposed of in the regular garbage. The battery positive terminal should be isolated by putting each battery in a clear plastic bag, or putting clear packing tape, duct tape or electrical tape over the positive terminal. They can then be disposed of at City drop-off depots that accept hazardous waste, at community environment days, at retail drop-offs (found at hardware stores and electronic retailers) or, if someone has more than 10 kg of hazardous waste, they can call the Toxic Taxi to arrange for pickup. Batteries that are damaged or swollen are particularly risky. Ideally, they should be stored in a non-flammable container filled with sand and taken to a disposal centre as soon as possible.
Last Word
And lastly, a warning to all. If you are near a lithium-ion battery that starts to swell or smoke, vacate the space immediately. Do not attempt to put the fire out. Do not attempt to take the battery outside. Get yourself and your family out of the condo as quickly as possible, close the door behind you, and call 911. When batteries explode, it is a split second before you can become engulfed in flames.
Sally Thompson, MSc P.Eng, is a founder and managing principal of Synergy Partners and past president of CAI Canada.
