This is content from an email from Paul on this topic along with a pdf he sent from a UK association on battery safety issues.  I'd still like to get Paul, Gene, Jay, David's comments on the original post, but this can be additional food for thought.  Jim     Pauls email below....

I’ve reached out to a UK Charity that is being very proactive – https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/battery-breakdown/battery-safety-campaign/

Please see attached their proposed safety bill.

I have a contact we can use in case you think there is value in them helping with the paper?

Wayne Mackay

Head of Policy and Public Affairs,

Electrical Safety First

wayne.mackay@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk

Thanks

Paul.

• Is this session the right timing? or should this be at the start of the next biennium?
  • are you wanting to write a working paper or just express an opinion in an inf paper?
• If we are asking for some Competent Authority oversight of Quality programs, what to states that do not have highlight competent CA's supposed to do?  In the UK, and first world, there are plenty of experts that can help.  But what happens outside of that group of countries? 
  • This is the final meeting of the biennium, so if you want to make real change you would need to inform everyone of what you want with the acceptance that it will not be addressed and fully discussed till the next biennium.
• Should we discuss this with someone from UL?  I am having a call on Friday with a contact at UL and plan on running this idea by him to see what he thinks.  
  • Lithium Batteries have safety concerns across many boundaries and situations (workplace, storage, disposal, etc.) but we really need to stay in our lane and focus only on transportation concerns.
• Should we involve other NGO's? like COSTHA, PRBA, RECHARGE or even IATA in this paper?  I certainly think that talking with MarK Boolish from PRBA would be at a minimum important to do.
  • it is going to take all of these and more to get something passed so we need to present now what we want and then request feedback from everyone to be collected and presented at the next meeting.
• Do we suggest a draft quality management plan to which others can subscribe -- kinda like minimum standards for lithium battery test summary report?  Probably this is a bridge too far for DGTA and out of our wheelhouse but certainly others like RECHARGE and PRBA could have that expertise.
• Should we talk with Remko (Lithium Battery Informal Working Group Chair) and Claude Chanson before doing anything? 
• Right now everything is self-certification so this would be a big deal.  How do want to frame this?  My feeling is that for DGTA to go this alone is not advisable.  We can certainly help coordinate and provide initiative for this move, but it's best we have allies before dropping this at the UN.
  • i think if we are focusing on lack of trust discovered by Canada when they actually inspected batteries in transport.  this should be the foundation of our proposal.
• Please share your comments.  I have UNLOCKED this forum (I'm not a wordpress expert and it's easier to just do it this way for now and work with smartassn later to figure out how best to run this site.

Thank you for your comments Jay.  The information you shared about the Canada investigation (looking into shipper compliance on things like lithium battery state of charge and overall compliance) is helpful.