10/08/2026
This is Fire Prevention Week, and NFPA's 2026 theme is "Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower," focused on lithium-ion batteries.
In a commercial building, those batteries are in the laptops on every desk, the cordless tools in the maintenance shop, and the e-bikes and scooters people bring inside. NFPA's guidance applies at work as much as at home:
- Use the charger the manufacturer approved for the device
- Charge on a hard, flat surface
- Unplug once a device is fully charged
- Stop using any battery that swells, overheats, smokes, or smells unusual
- Charge e-bikes and scooters outdoors when possible, away from exits
A charging area that has grown over time, or a closet full of tool batteries, is worth a walk-through this week.