“Torch” cigarette lighters

Lighters with flammable gas is assigned with UN Number 1057 under class 2.1.

IMDG Code specifies that a lighter must not have gas volume larger than 10 g of liquefied petroleum gas. The danger of flammable gas filled lighters is potential leakage of gas which will produce a flammable atmosphere in a shipping container.

These days in market we can buy “Torch” cigarette lighters; these are lighters with a small LED and two or three lithium metal batteries to provide power. Lithium metal batteries have gained notorious name to it due to its involvement in numerous accidents of which certain accidents resulted in total loss of aircraft and lives on board.

How safe are these “Torch” cigarette lighters or how dangerous are these “Torch” cigarette lighters more than other lighters?

United Kingdom raised the issue of “Torch” cigarette lighters in the fortieth session of Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, hopefully by forty-first session we should have some guidance on transport of “Torch” cigarette lighters as cargo or guidance for carriage by air passengers.

Below photos of “Torch” cigarette lighter