Automotive safety training provider, Salvage Wire, has posted some very useful information on its website concerning how anyone working on an electric vehicle can remain safe. 

It highlights how there are four main risks associated with EVs: Chemical, Electrical, Fire and Electromagnetic. 

The chemical threat comes from electrolyte in batteries, which may leak if a battery module or cell are damaged. High voltage batteries in particular, have alkaline electrolyte that can be very harmful to health, even in very small quantities. 

Electric shock is the more obvious risk from EVs. If a technician touches the vehicle, it can create a circuit through their body. This can cause ventricular fibrillation, where the heart is not pumping blood around the body. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, generally have sufficient voltage to be lethal. 

While fire risks are generally not higher on EVs, the consequences can be far more severe. For example, there is serious danger from arch flashes. Battery fires are also very hard to extinguish, requiring lots of water. 

Perhaps a less well known EV danger are electromagnetic fields. On high voltage vehicles, these can have an impact on heart pacemakers, so it is important that people with pacemakers do not work on these cars when live. 

Salvage Wire say that the only way to really understand and avoid danger is through proper practical training, plus having the right high voltage personal protection and tools and adhering to manufacturers repair methods.  

Salvage wire offers accredited and certificated training courses that include awareness of risks, how to work safely and practical assessments. Without these the technicians will not have the right awareness, knowledge of how to complete the work and the confidence to complete high voltage operations. It has also developed electric vehicle dismantling training that is available at 4 levels.  

For more details email training@salvagewire.com or visit Salvagewire.com

You can read the full blog article, which includes links to some very useful safety information here.