Updated September 2026.
Ireland still does not have a single dedicated workplace regulation that tells every business exactly how lithium-ion batteries must be stored, charged or segregated.
However, the regulatory picture has developed significantly since this article was first published in August 2025.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 now has operational safety requirements for stationary Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Ireland amended its national battery framework in 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency has dedicated guidance for lithium-ion batteries at waste handling facilities, and Irish safety and fire authorities are giving increasing attention to BESS and lithium-ion fire risks.
For businesses, this means the position is no longer simply that Ireland has “no lithium-ion battery rules”. Instead, different legal requirements apply depending on whether the batteries are products, workplace equipment, stationary energy storage systems, damaged batteries or waste.
Not one universal law covering every workplace situation.
There is still no single Irish regulation that specifies one mandatory storage cabinet, separation distance, charging arrangement or fire-protection system for all lithium-ion batteries used or stored in workplaces.
Instead, businesses may be affected by several overlapping areas of law and guidance, including:
The correct controls therefore depend on what batteries are present, how they are being used and the hazards identified at the site.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 applies directly in Ireland and establishes requirements covering batteries throughout their life cycle.
Its scope includes:
The Regulation covers all battery chemistries and includes portable, industrial, electric vehicle, Light Means of Transport (LMT) and Starting, Lighting and Ignition (SLI) batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries can fall into several of these categories depending on their design and intended use.
See our EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 guide for a detailed explanation of the requirements and implementation dates.
One of the most important developments is the application of Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 to stationary Battery Energy Storage Systems.
Stationary BESS placed on the market or put into service must be safe during normal operation and use.
Since 18 August 2024, the required technical documentation must include evidence that applicable safety hazards listed in Annex V have been successfully tested.
These safety parameters include:
The technical documentation must also consider other reasonably foreseeable safety hazards and include appropriate mitigation instructions for hazards such as fire or explosion.
No. Regulation 2023/1542 is an important part of the battery safety framework, but it should not be treated as a complete workplace storage specification.
For example, it does not establish one universal rule requiring every lithium-ion battery in an Irish workplace to be stored in a fire-rated cabinet.
Nor does Article 12 replace the employer’s responsibility to consider how batteries are actually stored, charged, handled and managed at the site.
Product safety and workplace safety are related but separate issues.
Ireland introduced S.I. No. 165 of 2026 – European Union (Batteries and Accumulators) (Amendment) Regulations 2026.
The amendments support the continuing implementation of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 within Ireland and update the existing national battery framework.
Changes include:
These measures are particularly relevant to businesses that manufacture, import or first place batteries or battery-containing products on the Irish market.
They should not, however, be interpreted as a new universal workplace storage code for lithium-ion batteries.
Yes.
The absence of a dedicated lithium-ion storage regulation does not mean an employer can ignore the hazard.
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employers are required to identify hazards, assess workplace risks and record the appropriate risk assessments within the Safety Statement.
The Health and Safety Authority also requires employers to consider fire risk as part of workplace risk assessment.
Where lithium-ion batteries create a foreseeable risk of fire, explosion, hazardous gas release, electrical injury or another danger, those hazards should therefore be considered within the workplace safety management system.
The level of risk can vary considerably between a small number of portable batteries and a facility storing hundreds of high-energy industrial battery packs.
A site-specific assessment should consider factors including:
The appropriate controls should follow from that assessment rather than from treating all lithium-ion batteries as presenting an identical risk.
There are signs of increasing regulatory attention to the subject.
The Health and Safety Authority established a consultancy framework covering renewable-energy and occupational-safety issues that specifically includes Battery Energy Storage Systems.
The scope includes the development of occupational safety and health guidance for BESS and associated training.
A separate work area covers the storage, handling and fire suppression of lithium-ion batteries at waste sites, including the development of guidance and checklists.
This does not itself create new legal requirements, but it demonstrates that lithium-ion batteries and BESS are becoming a more defined area of occupational safety policy in Ireland.
Yes, for certain applications.
The Environmental Protection Agency has published dedicated Guidance on the Safe Storage of Lithium-Ion Batteries at Waste Handling Facilities.
The guidance is aimed particularly at:
The EPA highlights the significant fire and hazardous-substance risks that can arise where lithium-ion batteries become damaged or begin to fail.
This guidance is highly relevant to waste batteries but should not automatically be treated as the storage specification for every new or operational industrial battery.
Yes. Once a battery becomes waste, additional waste-management requirements can apply.
Used, defective and damaged batteries can also present a different risk profile from new batteries in good condition.
A business should therefore avoid treating all batteries on site as one homogeneous inventory.
It can be useful to distinguish between:
Separate procedures and storage arrangements may be appropriate for these different categories.
Damaged, swollen, leaking, unusually hot or otherwise suspect batteries should not simply be returned to normal stock.
Businesses should have a defined procedure for identifying and isolating suspect batteries and preventing them from exposing unaffected stock, employees or critical areas to unnecessary risk.
Relevant warning signs can include:
The appropriate response will depend on the battery and its condition. Manufacturer information, specialist waste requirements and site emergency procedures should be followed.
Yes.
Lithium-ion batteries and BESS are receiving increasing attention from Irish fire-safety professionals and regulators.
In September 2026, fire safety and engineering seminars hosted by the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management included presentations addressing Battery Energy Storage Systems, lithium-ion battery fire risks and fire safety at waste management facilities.
This reflects the growing importance of battery fire behaviour, emergency response and site design as battery use expands across transport, manufacturing, logistics and energy storage.
It does not mean that one new national lithium-ion fire code has been introduced. Instead, the subject is increasingly being incorporated into wider fire-safety and engineering practice.
Lithium-ion batteries contain significant stored energy and can fail through a process known as thermal runaway.
During thermal runaway, heat generated within a cell can trigger further reactions and potentially spread to neighbouring cells.
Depending on the battery and failure conditions, an incident can involve:
These characteristics mean that preventing failure and limiting propagation are important parts of lithium-ion battery safety.
There is no universal Irish rule stating that every lithium-ion battery must be stored in a fire-rated cabinet.
Whether a battery cabinet, external store or another engineered storage system is appropriate should be determined from the risk.
For smaller quantities, appropriate controls may include segregation, suitable charging procedures, protection from damage, monitoring and separation from combustible materials.
For larger battery inventories or higher-energy applications, additional measures may be justified, including:
A product should therefore be selected because it addresses the hazards identified by the risk assessment, not because a generic statement says that every lithium-ion battery requires the same cabinet.
Separation from combustible and incompatible materials can be an important measure for reducing the consequences of a battery failure.
A battery incident should not be given an unnecessary opportunity to spread into packaging, chemicals, stock, equipment or other combustible materials.
The required separation will depend on the battery inventory, site layout, fire strategy and storage system.
Businesses should also consider whether a battery failure could affect escape routes, occupied areas or critical operations.
There is no single answer for every installation.
Charging changes the risk because electrical equipment is energised and the battery is undergoing an electrochemical process.
A charging assessment should consider:
For higher-risk applications, separating charging from general storage or carrying it out within a purpose-designed charging system may form part of the controls.
There is no single fire-suppression method that should be recommended for every lithium-ion battery installation.
The appropriate fire strategy depends on factors including battery chemistry, battery format, stored energy, enclosure design, fire propagation potential, ventilation, location and the objectives of the suppression system.
The old assumption that simply providing a particular type of portable extinguisher resolves lithium-ion battery fire risk is therefore too simplistic.
For larger installations, the fire strategy may need to consider:
Fire-protection systems should therefore be selected as part of the overall battery and site fire-safety design, with competent fire-safety input where appropriate.
Where batteries present a significant foreseeable risk, emergency arrangements should form part of the site’s wider safety management.
The Health and Safety Authority states that employers must prepare and revise adequate emergency plans and procedures and provide the necessary arrangements for fire fighting and evacuation.
For a workplace handling significant lithium-ion battery inventories, an emergency plan may need to address:
Yes. Businesses that manufacture or import batteries, or products containing batteries, and place them on the Irish market can have separate producer-responsibility obligations.
The Environmental Protection Agency states that battery producers must register annually with Producer Register Limited and report the batteries they place on the Irish market.
Waste battery collection, financing and recycling requirements can also apply.
Ireland’s 2026 amendments further align producer registration with the battery categories introduced by Regulation (EU) 2023/1542.
These producer responsibilities are separate from the workplace fire-risk controls required where batteries are physically stored or charged.
The practical starting point is not to wait for a single lithium-ion-specific storage law.
Businesses should identify where batteries are present and assess how they are purchased, received, stored, charged, used, returned, quarantined and disposed of.
A suitable battery safety programme can include:
Controls should be proportionate to the actual battery hazard rather than copied from a generic checklist without considering the site.
Chemstore provides lithium-ion battery storage, charging, quarantine and emergency-response solutions for commercial and industrial applications.
Solutions range from smaller battery cabinets and battery boxes to purpose-designed external battery storage systems for larger or higher-risk inventories.
Chemstore’s Electrovault lithium-ion battery storage range can incorporate measures including:
Chemstore also provides battery storage site assessments and solutions for organisations reviewing how lithium-ion batteries are currently stored, charged and managed.
The appropriate solution should be based on the battery inventory, stored energy, condition, site layout and findings of the project risk assessment.
This article provides general information on lithium-ion battery safety and the regulatory position in Ireland as of September 2026.
There is no single set of storage requirements appropriate to every lithium-ion battery installation. Requirements and suitable controls can vary according to battery chemistry, capacity, condition, application, quantity, charging activities, building design and site-specific risks.
This information does not replace Irish or EU legislation, Health and Safety Authority or Environmental Protection Agency guidance, manufacturer instructions, a workplace risk assessment, fire-safety assessment or advice from a competent person.
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