Improve the handling and transport of lithium battery shipments along the supply chain
Center of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries (CEIV Li-batt) is a certification program designed to enable the supply chain of lithium battery products such as shippers, freight forwarders, cargo handling facilities and airlines to meet their safety obligations by complying with the applicable transport regulations.
Lithium batteries have become the preferred energy source to power a wide variety of consumer goods, ranging from mobile phones to children's toys to cars and e-bikes. Though widely used, most people are not aware that lithium batteries are dangerous goods that can pose a safety risk if not prepared in accordance with transport regulations.
The aviation industry has voiced concerns over the lack of awareness and the increasing number of incidents of intentionally mis-declared and non-compliant lithium batteries in cargo shipments, and the needs to address the safety risks to ensure that the security of the supply chain is not compromised.
Driven by the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR), the CEIV Li-batt establishes baseline standards to improve the level of competency and quality management in the handling and carriage of lithium batteries throughout the supply chain.
Organizations that undergo training, assessment and validation requirements are granted a certificate issued by IATA and are listed on the IATA ONE Source registry upon successful completion and compliance with the program standards.
Three distinct phases of the assessment
The CEIV Li-batt program recognizes an organization through a certification process. Applicants must successfully pass a CEIV Li-batt training, followed by an assessment and validation conducted by an Independent Validator to determine compliance of the organization with the criteria set forth in the CEIV Li-batt audit checklist.
IATA will apply the following approach, which is an integral element of the certification process:
1. Training
Follow the Lithium Battery Safety Logistics Management training destined for personnel involved in the handling and transport of lithium batteries and working for shippers, freight forwarders, airlines, and ground handlers.
2. Assessment
Carry out an assessment of the handling and transport of lithium batteries against the dedicated CEIV Li-batt audit checklist to ensure compliance with program’s standards. Comprehensive feedback will be provided, including a gap analysis and a detailed list of the specific areas of improvement.
3. Validation
Conduct a final validation to verify that the findings and the gap analysis made during the assessment have been addressed to ensure that the organization meets the program's standards.
The validation phase encompasses all activities following the assessment, leading to the granting of the certification including the follow-up of the Corrective Action Plan (CAP) and its implementation. The certification shall remain in effect for a period of two (2) years from the date it is rendered.
Re-certification
Re-certification will take place every two (2) years. It includes a refresher training and a re-validation to check and ensure continued compliance with the program's standards.
CEIV Li-batt participants are required to go through a certification process
CEIV Li-batt strives to achieve standardization and uniformity in the scope, depth and quality of the certification process conducted, focusing on critical operational areas of an organization.
CEIV Li-batt ensures all organizations are assessed in a consistent and objective manner using standardized audit checklist and criteria that have been developed to guide the Independent Validator and the organization through the certification process.
The program standards are based on:
- IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR)
- IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR)
- Industry standards and best practices
The CEIV Lithium Batteries certification program was officially launched at the World Cargo Symposium, October 12-14 2021, in Dublin Ireland.
CEIV Li-batt Postcard: Benefits of being CEIV Li-batt certified and the process to achieve the certification.
Training Courses
- Lithium Battery Logistics Safety Management (Classroom, 3 days)
- Shipping Lithium Batteries by Air (Classroom, 2 days)
Publication
Interested in becoming CEIV Lithium Batteries certified?