A phone charging on the kitchen counter. A cordless tool plugged in at the shop. An e-bike charging in the garage. Lithium-ion batteries are part of everyday life, both at home and at work.
That is why the National Fire Protection Association is putting safe charging at the center of Fire Prevention Week 2026, observed October 4 through 10. This year’s theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower,” focuses on simple habits that can help reduce the risk of fires involving lithium-ion batteries.
But Fire Prevention Week is also a good reminder to look beyond one type of hazard.
Fire prevention starts with understanding what could go wrong, taking practical steps to reduce that risk, and making sure people know what to do if an emergency occurs.
Safe Charging Deserves More Attention
Lithium-ion batteries power phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, scooters and countless other devices. Most of the time, we barely think about them.
However, the way those devices are charged matters.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, safer charging habits include:
- Use the charger that came with the device or one approved by the manufacturer.
- Charge devices on a hard, flat surface rather than a bed, couch, pillow or other soft surface that can trap heat.
- Unplug devices once they are fully charged.
- Stop using a device if the battery becomes unusually hot, swells, leaks, smells strange, smokes or makes popping or hissing sounds.
- Charge larger devices, such as e-bikes, scooters and power tools, outside when possible.
- Never let a charging device block an exit.
- Look for products tested by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as UL, ETL or CSA.
These are small changes, but that is often what prevention looks like. It is less about one dramatic action and more about building better habits before there is a problem.
For Businesses, Fire Prevention Is an Operational Issue
A fire can affect much more than a building.
It can interrupt production, damage equipment, displace employees, affect customers and suppliers, and create a long recovery process. For a business, preventing or reducing a fire loss is also about protecting operations.
That makes Fire Prevention Week a useful time to walk through the workplace and ask a few questions.
Where are the major ignition sources? How are flammable or combustible materials stored? Are heat-producing machines being maintained? Are charging stations located in appropriate areas? Do employees know what they are responsible for if something happens?
For workplaces that are required to maintain a fire prevention plan under Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, that plan must address major fire hazards, ignition sources, combustible waste, safeguards for heat-producing equipment and employee responsibilities.
Even when a formal plan is not required, those questions can still help a business identify potential weaknesses.
For manufacturers in particular, the conversation can involve machinery, electrical systems, hot work, combustible materials, battery-powered equipment and production processes. When reviewing manufacturing insurance, those physical risks should be part of the larger discussion. Coverage may help transfer certain financial risks, but strong prevention practices can help reduce the likelihood or severity of a loss in the first place.
Fire Safety Matters at Home, Too
Fire prevention does not stop when the workday ends.
Homes now contain more rechargeable devices than ever. Phones, tablets, laptops, vacuums, tools, toys and personal mobility devices may all rely on lithium-ion batteries.
That makes charging habits an important part of household fire safety.
It is also a good time to check smoke alarms and make sure everyone in the household understands how to get out if a fire occurs. NFPA’s Fire Prevention Week guidance emphasizes that working smoke alarms and a home fire escape plan can make a life-saving difference.
Your home insurance is one part of protecting what you have built, but prevention should come before a claim ever has to happen. Take a few minutes to look around your home for charging devices, overloaded outlets, aging equipment or other risks that may have slowly become part of the background.
Sometimes the most useful question is simply: What have we stopped noticing?
Fire Prevention Starts Before the Fire
That proactive mindset is something our team thinks about throughout the year, not only during Fire Prevention Week.
As Jess Entwistle explains:
“Fire prevention starts long before a fire occurs. Proactive risk management helps identify potential hazards, strengthen safety practices, and reduce the likelihood of a loss. Our Risk Consulting team works alongside clients to help identify those risks and develop practical strategies to protect their people, property, and business.”
That distinction matters.
Insurance can play an important role in transferring certain financial risks when a covered loss occurs. However, insurance is not the same thing as prevention.
Safety practices, employee training, equipment maintenance, loss-control efforts and thoughtful planning can all help address risk before insurance ever becomes part of the conversation.
For businesses, that may mean bringing different people to the table. Operations leaders may see hazards that ownership does not. Employees working around equipment every day may notice problems before management does. A risk consultant may also bring a different perspective and help identify exposures that have become routine or easy to overlook.
The goal is not to eliminate every possible risk. That is rarely realistic.
The goal is to better understand the risks that exist and make informed decisions about what can be prevented, reduced, transferred or retained.
Make Fire Prevention Week an Annual Reset
Fire Prevention Week lasts seven days, but the value comes from what happens afterward.
Choose a few areas to review. Walk your facility. Look at how devices are being charged. Talk with employees. Revisit emergency procedures. At home, check alarms, charging locations and escape plans.
You do not have to overhaul everything at once. Start with what you can identify and improve today.
If you would like to take a closer look at the risks around your organization, contact the Liberty Insurance Agency team to start a conversation about fire prevention, safety and your broader risk strategy.
We will also be hosting our next educational webinar on October 28. Contact our team or watch for registration details to continue the conversation and learn more about practical ways to better understand and manage risk.
