Understanding CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17: Safety Requirements for Portable Sealed Lithium-Ion Cells and Batteries

Scope and Application

CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17 is the Canadian national adoption of IEC 62133-2:2017, titled Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes – Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary cells and for batteries made from them, for use in portable applications – Part 2: Lithium systems. This standard specifies safety requirements for portable sealed secondary lithium-ion cells and batteries intended for use in portable equipment such as consumer electronics, power tools, medical devices, and similar applications. It covers both individual cells and battery packs that incorporate them, provided the batteries are designed for portable use and are not permanently installed in the host equipment.

The standard applies to cells and batteries that are electrically isolated and require proper handling, charging, and discharging in accordance with manufacturer specifications. It addresses hazards arising from normal operation as well as reasonably foreseeable misuse, including electrical, mechanical, and thermal abuse conditions. Notably, CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17 does not cover batteries for industrial, automotive, or stationary applications, nor does it apply to primary (non-rechargeable) cells or batteries with chemistries other than alkaline or non-acid electrolytes.

Technical Requirements

CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17 establishes a comprehensive set of design, construction, and verification requirements. These are organized around a series of type tests that simulate conditions the cell or battery may encounter during transport, storage, and use. The standard mandates testing at both the cell and battery level where applicable.

Electrical Tests

Key electrical tests include continuous low-rate charging (overcharge) at 1.0 ItA for 7 h, external short circuit at 20 °C and 55 °C, forced discharge of a fully charged cell in series with a discharged cell, and protection circuit verification. Acceptable criteria require no fire, explosion, or leakage during or after the test, and the internal temperature must stay within specified limits.

Mechanical Tests

Mechanical robustness is verified through vibration (sinusoidal, 10–55 Hz, 0.7 mm amplitude), shock (half-sine, 75 g peak, 6 ms duration), crush (between flat plates, 13 kN force applied to cell), and drop impact (1 m drop onto concrete). Batteries with individual cell capacities above a threshold must also pass an additional wall-mounted drop test.

Thermal and Environmental Tests

Thermal abuse is assessed by cycling the cell or battery through rapid temperature changes (from 75 °C to –20 °C) and by exposing it to a simulated hot environment (130 °C for 10 min). Altitude simulation (at ≤11.6 kPa, simulating 15,200 m) checks for leakage or rupture under low-pressure conditions.

Table 1: Summary of Critical Tests and Acceptance Criteria

Implementation Highlights

CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17 replaced the previous Canadian adoption of IEC 62133:2012 (which covered both nickel and lithium systems). The split into Part 1 (nickel systems) and Part 2 (lithium systems) reflects the distinct failure modes and risk profiles of lithium-ion technology. For lithium-based products, the new standard introduced more stringent requirements for overcharge protection, battery management system validation, and test sample preconditioning.

Manufacturers should pay particular attention to the ”single-cell fault condition” test, which demands that a battery pack containing multiple cells in series must not cause a fire or explosion when any one of those cells is forced into a failure condition. This requirement has driven the adoption of enhanced pack-level protection designs in Canada.

Another significant difference is the removal of the ”battery with protection circuit” category from the original standard; in CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17, cells and batteries are treated as distinct test entities, and a battery that incorporates a protection circuit must be tested with that circuit active. Any change to the protection circuit (e.g., a different overcurrent trip point) may require re-testing.

Compliance and Certification Notes

Certification to CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17 is typically performed by a CSA Group laboratory or another SCC-accredited testing organization. The standard is recognized as a part of the Canadian Electrical Code, Part II (C22.2 series), and compliance is mandatory for products that will bear the CSA mark or be sold in Canada as portable lithium battery systems.

Key compliance steps include:

• Selection of representative test samples (10 cell samples and 5 battery samples, per typical requirements).
• Documentation of cell and battery design, including rating labels, protection circuit schematics, and safety data sheets.
• Completion of all type tests in a certified laboratory.
• Submission of a factory inspection report (for initial certification).
• Marking each cell and battery with the certification mark, rating (voltage, capacity), and date of manufacture.

Differences from the IEC edition: The Canadian version includes a few country-specific modifications, such as the requirement that instruction manuals be available in both English and French, and that the rated ambient temperature for tests be declared by the manufacturer. The standard also references other CSA C22.2 documents for supplementary requirements (e.g., marking and labeling).

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: January 2026. This article is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the full text of the standard. Always consult the official edition of CAN CSA C22.2 No. 62133-17 for complete requirements.