Quote Originally Posted by teamstorm
Just because there isn't a low-voltage cut off that will work in our environment (and I have not done research on if there is) doesn't mean we should just say 'oh well then we won't use them'
Over discharge is not a safety risk. Yes, it will severly damage the cells. Chargers will generally detect the over discharge and refuse to charge the pack, or charge the pack with severly limited capacity. In the worst case that the charger causes a battery fire the fire will be contained in a LiPo bag.
Quote Originally Posted by teamstorm
Just the very fact that people are saying 'we should have CO2 fire extinguishers around in case of a fire' scares the living daylights out of me that people simpley DO NOT understand the technology we are talking about here
Fire extinguishers are an interesting subject. As you point out there is a risk of fire to surrounding objects. Only class D extinguishers are suitable for putting out a LiPo fire. However the pack sizes we are using and LiPo bags means that the fire will have a limited burn time and containment. CO2 would be most suitable on any equipment in the vacinity without leaving a big mess or creating a risk of electrocution. Water extinguishers must not be used on live electrics.

The greatest risk of fire is through puncturing a cell. This is unlikely to occur outside of the arena.