Interesting one this...
There are two ways of looking at it. Firstly you could say that we need to ensure the safety of everyone at the club and the facilities that we use with every effort to put safety first above all else. Therefore LiPo bags should be mandatory.
The other view is that the issue of LiPo's going bang are over-hyped and that there is nothing wrong with the sensible approach we take now - educating those new to LiPo's and model shops ensuring that customers who buy LiPo's are getting the correct chargers and use them correctly.
I've had my fingers burnt more times from drivers spinning wheels as you marshall their car, or from touching a hot soldering iron!
There is an element of risk in everything we do in life and if we were to protect ourselves from dangers then we would never leave home - then again that is dangerous in itself as most accidents happen in the home
I've had a LiPo strapped to my car for 2 years and never had a problem. If something was to happen there is plenty of time to get the car out of the hall and away from everyone a they do not go bang, it's more of a slow fizz and smoking to begin with.
Forget what you may have seen on YouTube - that's just using LiPo's incorrectly on purpose to get that effect.
Some useful tips:
General precautions:
- The minimum safe discharge voltage is 2.5V per cell when under load, or 3.0V per cell when not on load.
- When more than 2 cells in series are used, a controller with an adjustable cutout should be used and it should be set at or above 2.5V/cell.
- Only charge LiPo batteries on a charger specifically design for LiPo batteries.
- Always ensure you use the correct charging voltage for the cell count.
- The maximum charge rate should be 1C, eg. 0.7A for a 700 mAh cell. For best charging, low charge rates should be used where possible.
- Check the charge voltage (or cell count) and current a second time.
- Never leave charging LiPo cells unattended (at any charge rate).
- It is best to charge LiPo cells in an open space on a non-flammable surface (such as a brick or quarry tile) and away from flammable materials.
- For long term storage it is recommended that cells are fully charged and then discharged to between 50% and 60% of their capacity.
- Use connectors that can not be short circuited, or use silicon fuel tube to protect exposed connections.
- Have a dry powder fire extinguisher or a bucket of dry sand within reach.