Battery saws and lithium-ion batteries: what OSHA, EPA and the recall notices say

This page describes what two United States agencies print about lithium-ion batteries and what the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall record says about battery chainsaws. It does not say which saw or battery to buy, and it carries no runtime or capacity figures. Declared noise and vibration values for saws are on the page of saw noise and vibration values. The kinds of saw are set out in saw types compared.

OSHA: the 2019 bulletin

OSHA's Safety and Health Information Bulletin on small and wearable lithium battery devices has the number SHIB 06-20-2019 in its header. It was written for devices such as worn cameras, but its section on lithium-ion batteries covers power tools in its list of what the batteries power. It makes these points about the batteries:

It says lithium batteries are generally safe and unlikely to fail, but only as long as there are no defects and the batteries are not damaged.
It says injury can come from design defects, low quality materials, wrong assembly, improper use or recharging, and damage.
It lists the damage that can happen from dropping, crushing and puncturing, from temperatures above 130°F, and from charging when the battery or its surroundings are below freezing (32°F), which it says can lead to metallic lithium buildup on the anode.
It says charging without following the maker's instructions can damage a battery, and that ultra-fast chargers may not cycle the power, so the bulletin advises against them unless the maker's instructions include them as an option.
It describes thermal runaway as heat released by one failing cell damaging nearby cells in a chain reaction.

For employers the bulletin lists prevention points. The batteries, chargers and equipment are tested to an appropriate test standard such as UL 2054 and, where applicable, certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. Replacement batteries and chargers are designed for the device and bought from the maker or an authorized reseller. The bulletin reports that the CPSC, in a February 2018 status report, counted over 25,000 overheating or fire incidents involving more than 400 types of lithium battery-powered consumer products over five years.

OSHA: the January 2025 fact sheet

OSHA's fact sheet on lithium-ion battery safety, numbered FS-4480 and dated 01/2025, names power tools among the devices that run on lithium-ion batteries. It says the hazards and controls it describes are important in facilities that make the batteries, in energy storage facilities and in facilities that recycle the batteries. It says thermal runaway can start from internal short circuits caused by manufacturing defects, mechanical damage, excessive heat or cold, and improper charging. It lists the signs of thermal runaway as a rise in battery temperature, venting of gas, vapor or smoke, or fire. It lists the byproducts of such fires, including hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide.

EPA: used lithium-ion batteries

The EPA page on used lithium-ion batteries says these batteries, and devices that contain them, do not go in household garbage or recycling bins, and that they are taken to separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection points. It lists power tools among the products with lithium-ion batteries and says easily removed batteries, such as those from power tools, go to a battery recycler or a retailer that takes them back. If a battery is damaged, the page says to contact the battery or device maker for handling information. It adds that even used batteries can have enough energy to injure or start fires. It explains that batteries thrown out with household recyclables can be crushed in transport or sorting and so create a fire hazard.

Battery chainsaw notices in the CPSC record

The CPSC recall web service holds more than three notices for battery or cordless chainsaws; the table covers the three of 2023 to 2025 that this site sets out on their own pages. It gives the date, the fault in the CPSC's words, and the page on this site that sets out what the CPSC, Health Canada and the maker each say.

Recall date	Fault as the CPSC states it, and the hazard named	Page on this site
September 14, 2023	The saw can take longer to brake than expected: laceration	Notice page for the battery chain saw, brake
June 5, 2025	The motor controller can overheat during operation: fire and burn	Notice page for the 62 volt battery chainsaws, controller
October 30, 2025	The chain brake may not activate: laceration	Notice page for the battery top handle saw, chain brake

Of these three, only the June 2025 notice names a battery or electrical fault, the overheating controller. The other two concern the chain brake. The June 2025 notice also tells consumers who dispose of the saw's lithium-ion battery not to put it in the trash, the general recycling stream, or the used battery boxes at retail stores, and says a municipal household hazardous waste center may accept it. That matches the EPA page above.

What these sources do not cover

None of the four pages says anything about how long a battery saw runs, which battery size suits tree work, or which battery saw to buy. The OSHA bulletin and fact sheet are workplace documents for lithium-ion batteries in general, not for chainsaws. The recall register lists notices for products sold in the United States, and its title search for chainsaw also returns notices before 2023 for cordless electric saws, which this page does not cover. It says nothing about saws that were never recalled.