REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, OTTAWA -- Canada is to ban transporting lithium metal batteries as cargo on passenger flights in Canada starting from 2015, as well as new labeling and Emergency Response Assistance Plan (ERAP) requirements for certain dangerous goods.

Under a suite of amendments to Canada's Transport of Dangerous Goods Regulations (TDGR) announced by the Canadian Ministry of Transport Tuesday, the new ban comes into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, to comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) ban.

The new ban applies to all shipments of lithium metal batteries as cargo on passenger planes within Canada, but it does not apply to batteries already contained in or packed with equipment, but only to those packaged and shipped separately.

It will not affect travelers' personal devices such as laptops and smartphones, which use lithium ion batteries.

In 2014, the ICAO adopted a ban on the shipment of lithium metal batteries as cargo aboard passenger aircraft. The main concern is that if ignited, they can cause any nearby batteries to overheat and catch fire as well. Most passenger airlines in Canada have already voluntarily banned lithium metal batteries as cargo.

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