Schools and Lithium Batteries: Laptop Trolleys, E-Bikes and Staff Response

Schools and Lithium Batteries: Laptop Trolleys, E-Bikes and Staff Response

Schools

A school now charges hundreds of lithium-ion batteries a day: laptop trolleys, tablets, staff power tools, and the e-bikes students ride in. Almost all of it is fine. The plan is for the one that isn't.

What has happened in classrooms

In May 2025, a New Jersey high school was evacuated after a Chromebook caught fire. Police believed a student had pushed pencil lead into a charging port as part of a social media challenge. Fire officials warned that even after a laptop stops smoking, the battery can reignite (ABC7 Chicago, 2025).

The U.S. National Science Teaching Association advises that standard classroom fire suppression may not be enough for a lithium battery fire, and that charging batteries should never be left unattended (National Science Teaching Association, n.d.).

Charging trolleys

  • Schedule trolley charging during staffed hours where you can, rather than overnight in an empty room.
  • Keep trolleys away from exits and in a space with smoke detection.
  • Use only the supplied chargers and leads (Fire and Rescue NSW, n.d.), and leave ventilation space around the trolley.
  • Pull any swollen, cracked or unusually hot device out of service and report it.

Student e-bikes

E-bikes and their batteries sold in NSW must now be tested, certified and marked before sale (NSW Government, n.d.). Schools can't control what students buy, but they can rule out charging student e-bikes on school grounds and keep bike storage away from building entries. Our guide to the first 60 seconds of a battery fire makes a good staff briefing.

What staff should and shouldn't do

A device that is hot or swelling but not smoking can be moved, with gloves, into a laptop and battery containment bag and taken outside. A device that is already venting smoke or flame should not be carried through a building. Clear the room, call Triple Zero (000) and stay out of the smoke: lithium-ion fires release hydrogen fluoride and other toxic gases (Larsson et al., 2017).

Staff awareness. Our Lithium Battery Fire Safety Awareness course gives teachers and facilities staff a shared baseline in about an hour, and is available in 10-seat blocks.

Equipment referenced

Stocked in Australia and dispatched within 48 hours. Questions about your site? Talk to us.

References

  1. USABC7 Chicago. (2025, May 15). Teen charged after laptop fire at New Jersey high school believed to be part of TikTok challenge. https://abc7chicago.com/post/chromebook-challenge-teen-charged-laptop-fire-new-jersey-high-school-believed-part-tiktok-trend/16417860/
  2. AUFire and Rescue NSW. (n.d.). Battery and charging safety. https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/fire-safety/home-fire-safety/battery-and-charging-safety
  3. EULarsson, F., Andersson, P., Blomqvist, P., & Mellander, B.-E. (2017). Toxic fluoride gas emissions from lithium-ion battery fires. Scientific Reports, 7, Article 10018. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09784-z
  4. USNational Science Teaching Association. (n.d.). Lithium-based power supplies: Safety issues and protocols revisited. https://www.nsta.org/blog/lithium-based-power-supplies-safety-issues-and-protocols-revisited
  5. AUNSW Government. (n.d.). New standards for lithium-ion batteries in e-micromobility devices. NSW Fair Trading. https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/safety-home/electrical-safety/lithium-ion-battery-safety/new-standards-for-lithium-ion-batteries-e-micromobility-devices

General guidance only. Fire blankets and containment bags contain a fire and buy time; they do not extinguish thermal runaway. In any battery fire, get clear and call Triple Zero (000). Our extinguishers are certified to EN 3-7:2004+A1:2007 and are supplementary to your statutory fire safety equipment.

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