ARE YOUR PPE AND INSULATED TOOLS IN COMPLIANCE
WHEN WORKING ON HYBRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
Do you have the time, special equipment and trained staff to ensure
the safety, maintenance and compliance of these products at all times?
Your PPE and Insulated Tools need to be maintained and inspected on a regular basis to ensure they are safe and compliant when working on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.
WHEN WORKING ON HYBRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES?
Do you have the time, special equipment and trained staff to ensure
the safety, maintenance and compliance of these products at all times?
Your PPE and Insulated Tools need to be maintained and inspected on a regular basis to ensure they are safe and compliant when working on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.
When working on Hybrid and Electric vehicles, workers can be at risk of electric shock and arc flashes, which can result in serious injury or death. Using PPE and Insulated Tools are one of the many important steps to take to protect against injury. They are designed to protect the user in the event that they touch an energized source, such as the high voltage components and cabling of an electric vehicle. The users go beyond automotive technicians and include emergency first responders, roadside assistance personnel, auto recyclers, and collision centers
Regular inspection and testing intervals of PPE gear and insulated tools are designed to keep users safe. These products can become compromised through regular use, age, exposure to sharp objects, dirt, oils, petroleum-based products, environmental fluctuations, and improper storage. For these reasons, regular visual and electrical inspections are mandated by ASTM and OSHA to ensure that they protect users from electrical hazards and risks.
These products must have at least a minimum 1000V rated for working on electric vehicles. Service workshops, first responders, collision centers and recovery operators are familiar with vehicles having 12- or 24-volt electrical circuits, but electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles use significantly higher currents that can go up to 1,000 volts DC. Any hazards and risks when working with these vehicles can be fatal.
These products must have at least a minimum 1000V rated for working on electric vehicles. Service workshops, first responders, collision centers and recovery operators are familiar with vehicles having 12- or 24-volt electrical circuits, but electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles use significantly higher currents that can go up to 1,000 volts DC. Any hazards and risks when working with these vehicles can be fatal.
OEM Manufacturers offer PPE and insulated tools to their dealerships for working on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. They require that dealerships be responsible for the compliance and maintenance of these products. In many cases, the dealership does not have a testing and inspection system in place to conduct these procedures, they do not have the time and resources, they do not have the specialized equipment to conduct these procedures, or they do not know where and how to test and inspect these products.
Many technicians are new to PPE and insulated tools they have to use when working with Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. There are many new and additional rules and processes that need to be carried out on a regular and periodic basis to ensure their use and protection. In many cases, these technicians do not have the time to conduct these processes, they are not accustomed with the additional requirements or forget to do them, which can lead to safety hazards and compliance issues in the event that a hazard occurs.
For example, the process of cleaning insulated tools after every use, checking each tool before using them, packing them away in a secure manner after every use or trying to avoid tools being dropped are things not usually practice by service technicians. These are similar procedures that should be done when working with ICE vehicles and with preserving tools, but are often overlooked. In terms of EVs, these are important requirements due to the hazards and risks that can occur not found with ICE vehicles such as electrical shock, burns and arc flashes.
FINES
Anybody working over 50V or more must use proper PPE and insulated hand tools. If you allow your workers to do work on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles and they are not using the correct PPE and Insulated Tools or in compliance with the OSHA electrical safety-related work practices, the worker and the owner of the facility are held accountable. OSHA inspections can lead to fines if workers and equipment are not in standing condition and compliance.
Many technicians are new to PPE and insulated tools they have to use when working with Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. There are many new and additional rules and processes that need to be carried out on a regular and periodic basis to ensure their use and protection. In many cases, these technicians do not have the time to conduct these processes, they are not accustomed with the additional requirements or forget to do them, which can lead to safety hazards and compliance issues in the event that a hazard occurs.
For example, the process of cleaning insulated tools after every use, checking each tool before using them, packing them away in a secure manner after every use or trying to avoid tools being dropped are things not usually practice by service technicians. These are similar procedures that should be done when working with ICE vehicles and with preserving tools, but are often overlooked. In terms of EVs, these are important requirements due to the hazards and risks that can occur not found with ICE vehicles such as electrical shock, burns and arc flashes.
FINES
Anybody working over 50V or more must use proper PPE and insulated hand tools. If you allow your workers to do work on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles and they are not using the correct PPE and Insulated Tools or in compliance with the OSHA electrical safety-related work practices, the worker and the owner of the facility are held accountable. OSHA inspections can lead to fines if workers and equipment are not in standing condition and compliance.
OUR SERVICES
AO E-Testing offers testing and inspection of the following products to keep you in compliance with all OSHA and ASTM safety standards and to keep your staff safe at all times when working with Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.
- Rubber Insulated Gloves
- Arc Flash Protection Helmet and Face-shield
- High Voltage Rescue Hooks
- Insulated Hand Tools
- Electrical Insulated Dielectric Over-Boots
- Arc Flash Protection Garments
- Electrical Insulated Rubber Mats and Blankets
Our testing and inspection services include visual checks, dimensional checks, dielectric tests, indentation tests, adhesion tests for insulating material coatings, impact tests and mechanical tests. These tests ensure that they are still rated to the voltage protection they supposed to provide.
Electrical Safety Products and Personal Protective Equipment cannot be visually confirmed as providing the required level of protection. They require testing and inspection at regular intervals to verify if the insulation is providing adequate protection.
Our professional team ensures your equipment remains safe, accurate and compliant at all times. We offer multiple solutions packages for maintaining compliance on PPE gear and insulated tools when working on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles. We also offer personalized reminder service for when your equipment is next due for inspection, so you can’t forget.
Let us help with our compliance and maintenance service packages, which will take out one less new task among the new list of thousands of news tasks to deal with Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.
We not only maintain and inspect PPE, insulated tools and equipment, but supply the replacement items if they are damaged, defective, failed testing, or pass its lifecycle. This reduces the downtime to order replacement products, which will be needed to complete any EV related jobs
Let us help with our compliance and maintenance service packages, which will take out one less new task among the new list of thousands of news tasks to deal with Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.
We not only maintain and inspect PPE, insulated tools and equipment, but supply the replacement items if they are damaged, defective, failed testing, or pass its lifecycle. This reduces the downtime to order replacement products, which will be needed to complete any EV related jobs
Regular Maintenance of PPE and Insulted Tools
“Take care of your PPE and Insulated Tools, and they'll take care of you!”
“Take care of your PPE and Insulated Tools, and they'll take care of you!”
Looking after PPE and Insulated Tools requires care when using them and regular inspections. They must be inspected and cared for before, during and after use. Proper use and regular maintenance are key when it comes to how effectively insulated tools
will protect you from injury.
PPE and Insulated Tools’ Insulation are Compromised when they Damaged, Punctured, Cut or Dropped.
There are daily and periodically use requirements, procedures and compliance for their safe usage at all times and constant checks to ensure they are working to serve its purpose.
These items cannot be visually confirmed as being safe.
will protect you from injury.
PPE and Insulated Tools’ Insulation are Compromised when they Damaged, Punctured, Cut or Dropped.
There are daily and periodically use requirements, procedures and compliance for their safe usage at all times and constant checks to ensure they are working to serve its purpose.
These items cannot be visually confirmed as being safe.
Making regular visual inspections is crucial for safety, but in many cases, some damages are not easily visible and cannot be visually confirmed as being safe. They require special equipment and procedures to test and inspect PPE and Insulated Tools to detect these damages such as pin-sized holes, nicks and cuts to ensure the insulating capability is retained.
EV technicians must ensure that they do not have electrical contamination in the workplace, always keeping uninsulated tools out of the designated area and follow the safety instructions provided by the manufacturer and current legislations.
EV technicians must ensure that they do not have electrical contamination in the workplace, always keeping uninsulated tools out of the designated area and follow the safety instructions provided by the manufacturer and current legislations.
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TRAINING
Is Your Workforce Properly Trained?
Is Your Workforce Properly Trained?
We offer Electrical Safety Training programs for anyone working on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, in order to keep themselves and those around them safe. Our on-site training provides workers the knowledge and understanding of the existence, nature, causes, and methods to prevent electrical hazards. It covers the proper use, care and storage of PPE and insulated tools that guards the health and safety of employees from electrical hazards and risks such as electrocution and arc flashes when working with these vehicles.
Understanding the limitations of PPE and insulated tools is an important aspect of the training because wearing the proper protective clothing and using insulated tools should be viewed as last line of defense in case of arc flash. PPE is not fool proof. When combined with good safety practices, PPE provides the best possible outcome in the event of an arc flash or arc blast.
NO ONE SHOULD BE UNSURE WHEN WORKING ON ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
DISCLAIMER
When using, maintaining and caring for PPE, insulated tools or any other safety equipment, always consult the manufacturer for complete and specific product information.
When using, maintaining and caring for PPE, insulated tools or any other safety equipment, always consult the manufacturer for complete and specific product information.
