Thomas Barth

Survival Factors Investigator and Biomechanics Engineer National Transportation Safety Board

Dr. Barth is an investigator and biomechanics engineer at the National Transportation Safety Board. He has a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Applied Science from Cranfield University. He worked in private industry for 20 years with both ground vehicle and aircraft safety and regulatory compliance. His ten years at the NTSB has focused on crash survivability and emerging technology.

Day One

1:00 PM SAFETY RISKS TO EMERGENCY RESPONDERS FROM LITHIUM-ION BATTERY FIRES IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES

In an 80-page report that the NTSB has published recently, investigations of electric vehicle fires are presented along with a review of emergency response guidelines from 36 manufacturers. It found that all had ways to mitigate the risk of high-voltage shocks including methods for disconnecting the battery. But none of the guides spoke to limiting the risk of energy stored in the batteries, such as procedures for minimizing reignition or instructions on where and how to spray water to cool the batteries, the agency said. This exclusive presentation gives you a detailed look at key findings from the NTSB’s exhaustive report.