Experts exchange ideas at symposium at the university

‘Powerful and dangerous?’ This was the motto of the symposium organised by the State Working Group for Occupational Safety in Bremen (LAK), which was held at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences for the first time this spring. More than 100 safety experts from the worlds of business, science and administration attended several specialist presentations to find out about the latest developments and trends in lithium-ion technology. They were welcomed by Rector Prof Dr Dr Alexis Papathanassis. ‘Lithium-ion technology is still quite new and its use is the subject of controversial public debate. This conference is a great opportunity for our students and all operational stakeholders to exchange ideas. I am delighted that the university can offer a platform for this,’ said the Rector. 

The event focussed on an expert exchange on the potential dangers of lithium-ion technology. Speakers Dr Stefan Essmann from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig, Dr Hans Peter Fröhlich from the Berufsgenossenschaft Handel und Warenlogistik (BGHW), risk engineer Ludger Tegeler from the international property insurer FW Global and Tim Bergmann from the Bremerhaven fire brigade shed light on the topic from different perspectives. ‘The selection of speakers was based on the aim of providing a holistic view of the safety of lithium-ion technology,’ said Prof Dr Uwe Arens, who was involved in the content of the symposium as a member of the LAK advisory board.

The rapid growth of lithium-ion batteries was the subject of Dr Stefan Essmann's presentation. He gave an outlook on future developments in battery technology. This was followed by two speakers who addressed the topic from two different perspectives. Dr Hans Peter Fröhlich emphasised that the technology had led to fires in the past. However, this has not yet led to an increase in the number of accidents. ‘The prevention measures of the accident insurance institutions are having an effect,’ he said. Ludger Tegler explained that the technology does not pose any uncontrollable risks. His conclusion: ‘We may be making an issue out of something that isn't an issue at all!’ From the perspective of the fire service, which was represented by Tim Bergmann, an extraordinary increase in fire incidents was also not known. However, the fire service is technically and organisationally well prepared. In the final discussion, everyone agreed that a new technology initially causes unease, as the risks are still unknown. But important steps have been taken to ensure safe use. The future belongs to lithium-ion technology and the latest subsequent developments.

Further information on the event and the presentations can be found at https://www.lak.bremen.de/aktuelles-3530.

(Translated by deepl.org)