Battery bomb warning for Britain's small businesses

One dodgy charger could destroy your business

The batteries powering Britain's phones, laptops, e-bikes and power tools are becoming a growing fire risk, with experts warning they are a "ticking timebomb" for small businesses. Fires linked to lithium-ion batteries are rising sharply, and for cafés, salons, workshops and independent retailers, one faulty battery or cheap charger could be enough to destroy everything.

Fire crews say these blazes can explode into life within seconds, reaching temperatures of up to 1,000°C and filling buildings with toxic smoke. Yet many small businesses have still not updated their fire risk assessments, leaving owners exposed not only to devastating losses but potentially invalid insurance claims if the worst happens.

Ticking timebomb batteries spark fire fears

Small and micro businesses across Britain are being warned about a surge in lithium‑ion battery fires with fire experts saying the devices powering everyday gadgets have become a “ticking timebomb” for high streets, salons, cafés and workshops.

Fire crews are tackling record numbers of blazes caused by batteries in e‑bikes, phones, laptops, vapes and power tools, and in small businesses as well as homes.

Fires erupt in seconds

We’ve seen the pictures of fires at big waste management firms and on rubbish collection trucks, but your small business could be equally at risk. We’re hearing about the dangers of dumping batters in general rubbish and taking them on flights, but the dangers appear to be lurking in any small business premises.

Lithium‑ion batteries can go into thermal runaway. It’s a real thing, a chain reaction that sends temperatures soaring to 1,000°C and triggers explosions, toxic smoke and flames that rip through small buildings in moments.

Firefighters say the blasts are so fierce they can blow out windows, set fire to stock and furniture instantly, relight hours later and fill rooms with poisonous gas. One battery fire can totally destroy your workshop or café.

Charging chaos

We use batteries without even thinking. What would be do without them. The biggest risks come from the things we do with them and use them for everyday:

• staff charging phones and laptops in cramped back rooms full of paperwork

• delivery riders plugging e‑bikes into wall sockets

• cheap chargers bought online or from market stalls

• batteries left charging overnight

• damaged batteries shoved into cupboards

Safety experts say the things we’ve become used to doing without a second thought are the very thinks that are causing catastrophic fires.

Small businesses are least protected

A 2024–2025 UK workplace safety survey from Firechief Global (a UK fire‑safety equipment and consultancy) shows 71% of small businesses haven’t updated their fire risk assessments to include lithium‑ion batteries, despite the rules of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO). The rules say every business, even a micro business with one or two people, must have a fire risk assessment and every employer or business owner is a Responsible Person and must:

• identify fire hazards

• assess risks to people

• put in place measures to reduce or remove those risks

• keep the assessment up to date

If you aren’t following the rules and have a fire, your claim to your insurance company is likely to be turned down leaving you to pay for any injuries and well as facing the closure of the business.

E‑bike and delivery scooters

London Fire Brigade says e‑bike and e‑scooter fires have hit record levels. Many of the fires are caused by cheap batteries, overcharging and DIY repairs. If the bike is stored in the hallway or kitchen at home the devastation isn’t just to a business. For micro‑businesses relying on delivery riders, the risk is now business‑critical.

A single spark

Small firms operate in tight spaces with limited exits. When a lithium‑ion battery goes up people have seconds to escape including customers. The stock, equipment and premises are destroyed, and the business may take months to reopen, if at all. For many micro‑businesses, one fire means the end.

No business can afford a fire.

Lithium‑ion batteries are everywhere; we’d find life very difficult without them, and yet many of us are completely unaware of the danger they pose. For small and micro businesses, the risk is real, rising and often overlooked. One dodgy charger, overheated battery, a spark, is all it takes to lose everything. As business owners we need to have the highest possible safety measures in place, make sure we’re complying with safety regulations for premises, equipment and people, and check with our insurance company to make sure the business is fully covered.