Working on hybrid and electric vehicles safely

Background

Hybrid and electric powertrains can be dangerous if not worked on safely.

A powertrain is the system of components in a vehicle that generates power and delivers it to the wheels, enabling the vehicle to move.

Hybrid and electric powertrains can be found in:

• passenger cars
• motorbikes
• heavy vehicles, including buses used on public roads
• vehicles for use on farms
• vehicles used for mining
• recreational vehicles.

Vehicles with hybrid and electric powertrains include:

• battery electric vehicles (BEV)
• hybrid electric vehicles (HEV)
• plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV)
• hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HCEV).

As technology evolves, it can present new risks to employees at the workplace and other persons. Employers must continue to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health, including when working with new technology.

Legal Duties

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act), employers have a duty, so far as is reasonably practicable to:

• Provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to the health of employees and contractors.
  • Where a risk cannot be eliminated, it must be reduced so far as is reasonably practicable.
• Consult with employees, contractors and health and safety representatives, where present, when identifying hazards and risks.
• Consult with employees, contractors and health and safety representatives, where present, when implementing controls to eliminate hazards and risks or, where not reasonably practicable to do so, minimise them.

Employers must also review and, if necessary, revise any measures implemented to control risks.

Employers must also provide employees with information, instruction, training or supervision as is necessary for employees to work safely and without risks to health.

The Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2022 sets out the legal duties for manufacturers and suppliers, and for occupiers of workplaces where dangerous goods are stored and handled. For further information, view Dangerous goods on the WorkSafe website.

Identifying hazards

Employers must identify hazards associated with working with hybrid and electric vehicles and control the risks associated with this work so far as is reasonably practicable using the hierarchy of control — a systematic approach to managing workplace risks.

Hazards when working with hybrid and electric vehicles include:

• vehicles operating with little audible warning that they may not be parked
• stored battery energy with the potential for fires, explosions, arc flashes and electric shocks
• electrical charge generation, which creates the potential for electric shocks and electrical fires
• charging of vehicles, which has the potential to disrupt pacemakers and other personal medical devices.

Risks

Working with hybrid and electric vehicles can cause serious injuries or death. Employees can be exposed to risks, which include:

• being run over by a vehicle due to the relatively silent operation of the motors
• burns and injuries from fire and explosions, which may occur hours or days after an incident
• burns and injuries from arc flashes due to the intense heat, pressure, and molten metal ejected when an arc flash occurs
• electric shock
• exposure to electromagnetic waves that may result in certain cancers
• exposure to toxic battery materials and gasses.

Controlling risks

Workplace setup for working on hybrid and electric vehicles

Before an employer brings hybrid and electric vehicles onto a workplace under their management and control, they must ensure that the workplace is setup to enable them to control the risks associated with the work.

Workplace risk controls include ensuring that there is a process to assess vehicles before they arrive or on arrival at the workplace. This includes determining the vehicles battery chemistry and assessing the risks that any vehicle or damaged battery may present. 

Some types of batteries may go into thermal runaway when involved in an incident, particularly Lithium Ion NMC (Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides) or Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries. Where there is evident or suspected vehicle or battery damage and the vehicle contains these types of batteries, then there should be a location where these vehicles can be quarantined. This is important so that they do not pose a risk to employees and other people. 

Employers should ensure that damaged vehicles are parked at least 15 m away from any flammable materials such as other vehicles and buildings. Ensure that sun shades are used to keep the damaged vehicle cool. 

Employers should ensure that physical barriers are installed between pedestrians and vehicles or create clearly marked and adequate walkways and pedestrian crossings.

Refer to WorkSafe’s information on safety in workplace car parks .

Employers should also:

• ensure that the workshop is setup to allow sufficient clearance around a hybrid or electric vehicle when the electrical system is being worked on
• provide the workshop with smoke detection and fire suppression systems to meet the additional special hazard provisions
• separate building ventilation systems from office areas or isolate them from office areas to prevent the spreading of fumes or toxic smoke.

Employers should ensure that there are safety tools and equipment to assist with working on the vehicles, such as:

• barriers
• identification signage
• lockout equipment
• insulated tools
• battery removal lift tables
• personal protective equipment (PPE)
• rescue equipment.

“EV fire blankets” and “Lithium battery fire extinguishers” should NOT be readily available to employees unless they are provided suitable training and PPE to be able to safely use this equipment. 

Ensure that breathing apparatus training and equipment is available for employees to prevent exposure to the toxic fumes whilst deploying this equipment. 

Provide powder and C02 fire extinguishers as per part 6.5 of Electric vehicle operations - Maintenance and repair AS 5732:2022.

Emergency plugs cannot be relied upon to prevent a vehicle from moving and could activate damaged high voltage charging circuits if a vehicle has been involved in a collision. Ensure the business follows the requirements of Electric vehicle operations - Maintenance and repair AS 5732:2022.

Moving hybrid and electric vehicles onto the workplace

Before an employer moves hybrid and electric vehicles onto the workplace under its management and control, they must have equipment and processes to control the risks associated with this work. 

If a hybrid or electric vehicle is moved by flat towing, allowing its driven wheels to turn, then this may cause the generation of an electrical charge that may create heat and fire. Many manufacturers specifically identify the risk of flat towing in the manufacturer’s manuals. Moving a vehicle with a forklift may damage the battery, causing a fire.

If the employer allows non-driveable vehicles onto its workplace, then the employer should ensure that risk controls are in place. The employer should ensure:

• that the vehicle is delivered into the work area and is not required to be moved from that location
• using transport companies who use specialist vehicle movement equipment that lifts the vehicle off its wheels, or purchase equivalent equipment for use at the workplace
• that the delivery location and the working area is flat and smooth so that dollies can be used to move the vehicle, if the vehicle is required to be moved
• that the vehicle is not lifted with a forklift from underneath the vehicle — this may crush or puncture the battery causing it to go into thermal runaway and catch fire
• that a dedicated workspace is available for removing the battery and motors or driveshafts from the vehicle, as per the manufacturer’s instructions — the vehicle can then be transported safely to another location.
• that there is clear labelling or signage to indicate if the vehicle has been made safe to flat tow.

Safe systems of work

An employer must provide and maintain plant or systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health. 

Safe systems of work help to identify and control hazards, minimising the risk of workplace accidents and injuries.

Safe systems for working on hybrid and electric vehicles

Before an employer brings hybrid and electric vehicles onto a workplace under its management and control, it must have safe systems of work in place to control the risks associated with this work.

Employers should ensure that safe systems for working on hybrid and electric vehicles are in place, including:

• processes for employees to be aware of moving vehicles, which include the use of audible alerts
• processes for employees to secure the vehicle, usually by placing the keys for the vehicle in a steel lock box
• ensuring that appropriate safety signage is placed on the vehicle
• ensuring that barriers are placed around the vehicle until the vehicle is depowered
• ensuring that the vehicle is depowered and isolated by removing the service fuse —while wearing appropriate PPE for this process to protect against any risk of arc flash
• ensuring that high voltage electrical connections are clean, protected and tested against dust and contamination — if high voltage connections are left exposed, particularly where there may be large deposits of dust or paint overspray, then exposed connections can result in high resistance and cause electrical fires
• ensuring that processes are in place to prevent vehicles from being stored in elevated temperatures for longer than the manufacturer’s recommendations — especially in paint ovens where the vehicle is isolated and the batteries cooling system is disabled.

View more information on how to isolate, de-energise, lockout and tagout plant on the WorkSafe website.

Safe systems for battery pack isolation, removal and repairs from hybrid and electric vehicles

Before an employer isolates, removes or repairs a battery pack from a hybrid and electric vehicle at a workplace under its management and control, it must have safe systems of work in place to control the risks associated with this work.

Most electric vehicle battery packs will be required to be managed as a dangerous good when removed from a vehicle or they are damaged. View Dangerous goods on the WorkSafe website. 

Before working on an electric vehicles battery or the high voltage components of a vehicle, employers should ensure that the battery pack is isolated in line with manufacturer’s recommendations and a system of work is in place to ensure that ensures that employees are not exposed to the risk of electric shock when working on those components. See Isolate, de-energise, lockout and tagout plant in Further information.

Once the battery of an electric vehicle has been isolated, the vehicle’s battery cooling system is no longer be able to maintain the battery temperature. The vehicle and battery will need to be stored in line with manufacturer’s recommendations. This will usually include storing out of direct sunlight in a cool place, to prevent the battery from overheating and going into thermal runaway.

Employers should ensure that specialist equipment is used where possible to discharge the battery before storage and transport. Reducing the batteries state of charge (SOC), reduces the amount of available energy during a fault.

When replacing battery packs, employers should ensure that the old battery pack is placed into the replacement battery packs packaging, for recycling.

Employers should ensure that documentation is attached to any removed battery packs. The documentation should include the reasons for removing the battery pack and its SOC so that the history of the battery pack is retained until it is recycled.

Employers should ensure that opening of the battery pack is only performed by a competent person. Opening the battery pack requires specialist equipment to manage the risk of working with the internal batteries. Risks include employees being exposed to electrical shorts, battery electrolytes, fumes and fires.

Safe systems for charging plug in hybrid and electric vehicles

Before an employer charges a plug in hybrid or electric vehicle at a workplace under its management and control, it must have safe systems of work in place to control associated risks.

Employers should ensure that:

• charging infrastructure meets all applicable standards for electrical installations (AS/NZS 3000)
• sprinkler systems, designed to meet the additional special hazard provisions, are available for when charges are located in undercover areas
• there are clear evacuation routes away from charging areas
• there are remote emergency shutdown controls and automatic shutdown of the EV charging stations
• vehicles are inspected for obvious battery damage or obvious cooling system leaks before being placed on chargers
• charging bays are adequately spaced to prevent any vehicle fire’s from spreading
• charges are provided with cable hooks and vehicle impact protection
• charges are inspected and maintained in line with manufacturers specifications and include weekly, monthly and annual inspections
• extension leads are NOT used with 240 V plug in chargers
• extension leads are NOT used with V2L (vehicle to load) adapters
• the business can comply with the requirements of SA TS 5397 Electric vehicle (EV) chargers for commercial applications.

Safe systems for working on hybrid and electric vehicle motors

Before an employer repairs hybrid and electric vehicle motors on a workplace under its management and control, it must have safe systems of work in place to control the risks associated with this work.

Employers should ensure that:

• nonmagnetic tools and equipment are used when working around the magnets contained within EV motors
• if a person wears a pacemaker or other medical device, and is close to motor components, then that person does not perform work on these components — the components may be affected by the magnet fields that are produced, and may prevent the medical device from functioning correctly.

Training and information

Before an employer brings hybrid and electric vehicles onto a workplace under its management and control, they must ensure that necessary information, instruction, training, or supervision is provided to enable employees to work without risks to health.

Necessary training may include completion of:

• AUR32721 Certificate III in Automotive Electric Vehicle Technology

or, completion of the following short courses: 

• URETH101 Depower and reinitialise battery electric vehicles
• AURETH102 Inspect and maintain battery electric vehicle

Other training may include the following units depending on the nature of the work performed on the workplace:

• AURETH015 Diagnose, remove and replace heavy electric vehicle rechargeable energy storage systems
• AURETH103 Diagnose and repair high voltage rechargeable energy storage systems in battery electric vehicles

Necessary information should include the manufacturer’s instructions and where available, the manufacturers vehicle-specific training.

Supervisors should complete a basic short course so they have the knowledge of the risk controls that should be in place to ensure that the works are completed safely and that employees and others are not harmed.

As hybrid and electric vehicle technology evolves, it is important to regularly review expertise, and where necessary do further training to ensure up to date knowledge of the latest technology and techniques.