South Carolina is emerging as a key player in the “battery belt,” a region in the United States that is rapidly becoming a hub for electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing. The state is home to several major battery manufacturers and automakers, making it an important part of the supply chain for EV batteries. The development of the South Carolina battery belt is not only good news for the state’s economy, but also for the broader EV industry.
The most common type of battery used in electric vehicles is the lithium-ion battery, which is made up of a variety of materials, including cobalt, nickel, manganese, and lithium. Similar to the Lithium based battery is the Ni-Cad battery. Its composition is nickel oxide-hydroxide, cadmium, and an alkaline electrolyte (potassium hydroxide). Both of these battery types are used for large Energy Storage
Systems or ESS. The southeast US is home to many businesses that manufacture, remanufacture, and recycle both Ni-Cad and Lithium based batteries.
The materials used to manufacture these batteries pose multiple health and safety concerns. Everything from the mining and extraction of these metals to the shipping of the completed cell has significant safety concerns. This webinar is designed to highlight each of these aspects and provide a general knowledge of the OSHA. UN, ANSI, and NFPA rules around batteries and cover safety concerns every EHS person should be aware of.
