Lithium-Ion Battery Management in Manufacturing Environments

Reuben Deck, General Manager at Hazero, met with Fletcher Suckling, Operations Manager at Harrows, to gain insight into their manufacturing environment and approach to Lithium-ion battery management. The discussion explored how batteries are used across their production facility, what prompted them to take action, and the practical impact of implementing a dedicated safety solution within a high-performance, multi-workshop operation.

The Operation

Can you describe what your day-to-day operations look like, and where Lithium-ion batteries fit into your workflow?

At Harrows, our day-to-day operations revolve around the design and manufacture of high-end social spaces, all delivered through a fully integrated, on-site production environment. Our facility houses dedicated workshops for fabrication, manufacturing, upholstery, finishing, and painting, each with its own specialised workstations operating concurrently.

Lithium-ion batteries play a critical role across these areas, powering a wide range of tools essential to our daily production. From fabrication and assembly through to upholstery and finishing, these batteries are in constant use throughout multiple production rooms. As a result, battery charging, handling, and storage are ongoing, high-frequency activities embedded into our workflow, making their safe management an important consideration across the entire operation.

The Trigger for Action

Had you experienced any incidents, near misses, or concerns internally, or what prompted you to take action now?

While we hadn’t experienced any incidents or near misses internally, there was a growing awareness around the risks associated with Lithium-ion batteries. This was largely driven by industry visibility and recent stories.

Hearing firsthand accounts and seeing real-world examples of battery-related incidents prompted us to take a proactive approach. Rather than waiting for an issue to arise, we saw value in exploring solutions early and understanding what best practice could look like within our operation.

This approach allowed us to assess our current processes and consider how we could better manage battery charging, handling, and storage as part of our broader commitment to safety and operational reliability.

The Hazero Solution

How did Hazero align with your safety or operational standards?

Hazero aligned with our safety and operational standards by giving us a practical way to reduce Lithium-ion battery fire risk without disrupting daily work. It supported safe charging and storage for multiple batteries at once, was sized to our actual usage, and fit into our workflow in a way the team could realistically adopt and maintain.

The Outcome