Safe Working Procedures for Electric Vehicle Maintenance

The surge in Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption marks a crucial shift towards sustainable transportation solutions driven by environmental concerns. EVs offer various advantages, including reduced emissions, enhanced energy efficiency, and quieter operation. However, the EVs are also affected by faults and crashes, requiring personnel to repair them. Currently, no International, American, or European Standard is dedicated to work activities on EVs. This paper addresses the regulatory gap by examining the properties of the EVs, the risk sources, and the available standards related to generic electrical installations, or EV emergency scenarios. The study proposes suggestions for workshop setup, organizational procedures, and operational protocols to ensure safety during EV maintenance activities. Moreover, the processes of evaluating and managing the electric risks are presented for a real case study, in which technicians replace cells in a battery pack of an electric bus.