Basic EV Safety

All employees working in businesses involved with the sale, repair, towing, or recycling of vehicles equipped with a high-voltage battery need at least a basic understanding of the dangers and how to minimize risk. Safety training should not be limited to those who actually handle or work on EVs. The dangers of electrocution, inhaling noxious fumes, chemical burns and fire are potentially present for all employees.

Take, for example, the curious lot person, who wanders by a partially disassembled EV while the technician is on a break. Are there any high-voltage components exposed? Does the lot person know what the orange cables are? Has the system been shut down?

If the stored energy in a high-voltage battery causes a fire to start, does everyone in the business understand what to do? After all, a runaway thermal event could be catastrophic to the business and everyone in it.

That’s why the EVfriendly certification program requires all employees to take the Basic EV Safety course. It provides an overview of the potential hazards the technology presents, how to minimize risks, and what to do in the event of a problem. This is the minimum training everyone in the business must have in order to protect the safety of employees and customers.