The ACT government will increase the number of inspectors of battery storage system installers in coming weeks ahead of an expected increase in demand for the technology due to the sustainable household scheme.
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It comes after two fires in almost as many months at a Canberra electric scooter warehouse have prompted safety concerns of the battery technology.
ACT fire authorities were still investigating the cause of a blaze at Beam's former warehouse in Fyshwick that took place on Wednesday, almost eight weeks since a similar fire broke out at the same facility.
The first fire, which took place on May 30, was sparked by a battery charging failure.
The incident led to WorkSafe ACT issuing a prohibition notice on the warehouse, with Beam staff unable to enter the facility in the weeks since the fire, having relocated equipment to a new site in Canberra while operations for the scooter company continued.
However, batteries that were stored in the warehouse have remained in the Fyshwick location since the first blaze took place.
While the reason why a fire broke out a second time at the scooter facility on July 14 has not been established, the blaze has been deemed as not suspicious.
The territory government will hire two additional inspectors to carry out checks of battery system installers to ensure regulations are met during the installation process.
A Beam spokeswoman said staff had not accessed the facility since May and safety steps had been put in place.
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"Following the May 30 incident at the facility, Beam has been liaising with ACT authorities to determine the cause of the fire," the spokeswoman said.
"In the meantime, we have engaged an independent fire safety expert and have implemented upgrades to operations to minimise fire risk at all warehouses, including the installation of powder-coated charging infrastructure to avoid electrical conduction, changes to charging racks to allow better heat dispersion, an isolation switch to battery charging units and thermal imaging.
"We continue to conduct regular reviews of all warehouse practices to minimise any safety risks to our operations."
The two incidents at the Beam facility come after a solar battery led to an electrical fire at a home in Campbell on June 15.
Fire crews extinguished the blaze and the home was not damaged in the incident.
Battery technology is set to expand in Canberra in coming months with the arrival of the ACT government's sustainable household scheme, allowing residents to purchase the storage systems with interest-free loans up to $15,000.
An ACT government spokesman said battery installers will have to meet pre-existing regulations for installation compliance.
"Battery storage products need to meet Australian standards and installers are required to have an ACT electrical licence," the spokesman said.
"The ACT is one of the few states that require 100 per cent inspection rate by Access Canberra electrical inspectors for all installations of battery storage systems in the ACT."
An ACT Emergency Services Agency spokesman said crews were prepared if battery fires became more common as the use of the technology expanded.
"Should there be an increase in a number of fires from battery systems, ACT Fire and Rescue is confident our firefighters are well-trained and resourced to manage such fires," the spokesman said.
"[Firefighters] use photo voltaic stop extinguishers for solar panels in some circumstances to ensure they are electrically safe for firefighters and the community."
The agency spokesman said battery charging failures, the cause of the first Fyshwick warehouse fire, was common. "This happens with all batteries from time to time, mostly due to overheating," he said.
A prohibition notice is still enforced by WorkSafe ACT, who declined to comment.
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