Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries (U.S. DOT, ICAO/IATA, IMO/IMDG)

In accordance with U.S. DOT HMR (49 CFR Part 172.704), IATA DGR (Section 1.5), and IMDG Code (Section 1.3.1)
Access your learning from any place, at any time, on any device
Convenient, on-the-go course designed for mobile users
Instantly download your certificate upon completion
Engage with audio narration for on-the-go study
Delivered through SCORM packages, online platforms, virtual classrooms, or in-person events

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CEU:
0.4

Starting from

$169.99/Seat

4 Hour(s) Course

$169.99

Bulk Buying

Employee

Per Seat

2-10

$168.29

11-20

$166.59

21-50

$164.89

51-100

$161.49

101-250

$158.09

Employee	Per Seat
2-10	$168.29
11-20	$166.59
21-50	$164.89
51-100	$161.49
101-250	$158.09

Enroll

Mitch Zane

Hazardous Cargo Transporter

"A detailed course that gave me general information on shipping lithium batteries as well as specific details about fully regulated lithium batteries."

Henry Calle

Truck Driver

"I enjoyed the animations in the course. The overall training was good."

George Hills

Shipping Manager – Hazmat Cargo

"The hazardous materials regulations of the DOT are explained in simple terms, making the training very user-friendly."

Selena Tony

Administrative Assistant for Hazmat Cargo Department

"Really good course! Explained all the complicated regulations in simple terms. Good Job."

Course Facts

What You Get

Certificate of Completion

Click here to view a sample certificate

Training Duration

4 Hour(s)

Learning Type

100% online, available 24/7

Course Access Validity

3-month completion timeline, 1-year access to training materials.

Device Support

Certificate Validity

24 months, before a refresher is required.

This Shipping Lithium Batteries Training course encompasses shipping guidelines for “fully regulated” lithium cells and batteries as set forth by the U.S. DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), and IMDG Code. The shipping guidelines cover:

Stand-alone lithium cells or batteries;
Lithium cells or batteries packed with equipment; and
Lithium cells or batteries contained in equipment.

This Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the general awareness and function-specific training requirements for transportation of “fully regulated” lithium cells and batteries by highway, rail, air, and water.

Employees whose job function directly affects the safe transportation of hazardous materials must receive training within 90 days after employment or a change in job function.

The core objective of the Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course is to familiarize workers with the training requirements for shipping fully regulated lithium cells and batteries as required by the DOT HMR (40 CFR Part 172.704), IATA DGR (Section 1.5), and IMDG Code (Section 1.3.1).

Course Objectives

After completing the Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course, the learner will be able to:

Fully understand the various regulatory requirements applicable to the transportation of lithium cells and batteries by various modes of transportation;
Understand the training requirements for hazmat employees;
Locate the pertinent information on the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) that may be required on shipping papers;
Understand the general requirements for packaging, marking, labeling, and placarding hazardous materials;
Explain the hazards associated with handling, storing, and transporting lithium cells and batteries;
Describe the best practices for the safe use and storage of lithium cells and batteries;
Understand the shipping guidelines for “fully regulated” lithium cells and batteries that may be shipped separately, with equipment, or contained in equipment;
Understand the exceptions for low production runs and prototypes;
Understand the protocols for safe disposal of lithium cells or batteries; and
Recall the different types of extinguishing agents required to fight fires caused by lithium metal and lithium ion batteries.

Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training Syllabus

This Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course consists of 4 modules broken down into 12 lessons. Students are required to take each lesson in sequential order as listed below.

Course Content

Lessons

Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training: Introduction

Module 1: HMR General Awareness

This module is dedicated to explaining the Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), the IATA dangerous goods regulations, and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code for the transportation of hazardous materials.

Lesson 1: The Hazardous Materials Regulations
Lesson 2: The Hazardous Materials Table

Module 2: Regulatory Requirements

This module provides in-depth details of the regulatory requirements relating to lithium cells and batteries. The different classifications applied by governing bodies when transporting lithium cells and batteries are also explained.

Lesson 3: Lithium Cells and Batteries
Lesson 4: Regulatory Overview
Lesson 5: Classification of Lithium Cells and Batteries

Module 3: Function Specific Requirements

This module gives an overview of the various packaging, marking, and labeling requirements when transporting lithium ion and lithium metal cells and batteries. The module also provides a general understating of the placarding requirements for vehicles, containers, and other modes of transportation. The importance of shipping papers and the main elements that must be filled in shipping papers is also explained.

Lesson 6: General Requirements for Shipping Papers
Lesson 7: General Packaging Requirements
Lesson 8: General Marking Requirements
Lesson 9: General Labeling Requirements
Lesson 10: General Placarding Requirements

Module 4: Shipping Guides

This module focuses on the packaging and hazard communication requirements for shipping “fully regulated” lithium cells and batteries. Lessons include the regulatory requirements of stand-alone lithium cells and batteries as well as lithium batteries packed with or contained in equipment.

Lesson 11: Stand-Alone Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated (All Modes of Transportation)
Lesson 12: Lithium Batteries Packed with OR Contained in Equipment: Fully Regulated (All Modes of Transportation)

Final Examination

Frequently Asked Questions

All our courses are designed to take a specific amount of time. The Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course will take around 4 hours to complete. However, since the course is largely self-paced, some students may get through the course more quickly, while others may take longer to complete their training.

Lithium batteries have become a common form of energy source used for powering a range of devices including laptops, smartphones, smart watches, medical equipment, and vehicles. Due to their higher energy density and flammable electrolytes, lithium ion and lithium metal cells and batteries are classified as hazardous materials or hazmat. According to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), all hazmat shipments must comply with the U.S. DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations as set forth in Title 49 – Transportation. Hence, all hazmat employers and employees who prepare hazardous materials for shipment or engage in the actual commercial transportation of these materials via highway, rail, air, and water must receive the relevant training. For lithium cells and batteries that are transported via air and vessel, the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Dangerous Good Regulations (DGR) and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code also requires personnel involved in the handling and transportation of lithium batteries to receive relevant and adequate training. Hazmat training requirements are outlined in Subpart H of Part 172 of the DOT’s Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), Section 1.5 of the DGR, and Section 1.3.1 of the IMDG Code.

A fully regulated lithium ion cell or battery includes:

A cell with a Watt-hour rating greater than 20 Wh; and
A battery with a Watt-hour rating greater than 100 Wh.

A fully regulated lithium metal cell or battery includes:

A cell with a lithium content greater than 1g; and
A battery with a lithium content greater than 2g.

A smaller lithium ion cell or battery includes:

A cell with a Watt-hour rating equal to or less than 20Wh; and
A battery with a Watt-hour rating equal to or less than 100Wh.

For highway and rail ONLY, a smaller lithium ion cell or battery also includes:

A cell with a Watt-hour rating not exceeding 60Wh; and
A battery with a Watt-hour rating not exceeding 300Wh.

A smaller lithium metal cell or battery includes:

A cell with a lithium content equal to or less than 1g; and
A battery with a lithium content equal to or less than 2g.

For highway and rail ONLY, a smaller lithium ion cell or battery also includes:

A cell with a lithium content not exceeding 5g; and
A battery with a lithium content not exceeding 25g.

The following personnel must receive training:

Employees who are involved in any aspect of shipping lithium batteries by highway, rail, air, or vessel;
Common, contract, and private carriers who transport lithium batteries;
Shippers who offer lithium batteries for transport within states, between states, or internationally;
Persons who design, manufacture, inspect, maintain, recondition, repair, or test packages, containers, or packaging components that are used for the transportation of lithium batteries;
Persons who indicate by marking, labeling, or other means that lithium batteries are present in a package being transported in commerce;
Persons responsible for the safety of hazardous materials during transportation; and
Compliance officers who certify that all applicable requirements of the HMR, IMO, and ICAO are being met.

Yes, the Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course meets the training requirements for shipping lithium cells and batteries as required by the DOT HMR (40 CFR Part 172.704), IATA DGR (Section 1.5), and IMDG Code (Section 1.3.1).

No, there are no prerequisites for this Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course.

This Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries course provides general awareness and function-specific training for shipping lithium batteries as required by DOT HMR, IATA DGR, and IMDG Code.

However, if you ship lithium batteries and other hazardous materials, we strongly recommend that you enroll in our DOT Hazmat Transportation: Advanced General Awareness (10 Hour) Training course before you enroll for the Shipping Lithium Batteries training in order to fully understand the requirements of the U.S. DOT’s Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180).

The Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training certification has a 3-year validity in line with DOT regulations.

If you are involved in shipping lithium batteries by air, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) require recurrent training once every two years.

Yes, this Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course has a 3-year validity period. Individuals must re-take this Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course when their safety training certificate expires in order to renew their certification and fulfill the DOT’s recurrent training requirements.

If you are involved in shipping lithium batteries by air, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) require recurrent training once every two years.

This same Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course can be used for re-training/refresher training purposes.

Once you pass the final examination of the Shipping Lithium Batteries: Fully Regulated Cells and Batteries Training course, you will immediately be able to download and print your course completion certificate in PDF format.