Salvage Wire

Salvage Wire
Helping Automotive recyclers become leaders in their industry

Tuesday 25 September 2018

DANGER - High Voltage

Many vehicle recyclers are handling high voltage vehicles and are completely unaware of the risks they exposing themselves, their colleagues and their businesses to.


What will it take to make these recyclers realise the danger and the risk of these vehicles; to train their staff, purchase necessary personal protective equipment and tools and set up a best management practice for the business? I hope that they see the need before one of their employees, colleagues or friends gets killed!

100v DC WILL KILL YOU! 
Battery voltages are rising, with up to 400v DC now, 800v DC in the next 12 months and in excess of 1000v DC in the future - these batteries are lethal if not handled correctly.

Salvage Wire Managing Director, Andy Latham, is speaking at the International Battery Recycling Congress in Berlin and will be highlighting this issue to the assembled delegates.

Risks include electrocution, fire and physical injury caused by the weight of the batteries; basic training along with the purchase and use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment plus a decent best management process and the use of free resources from the IDIS system will be enough to keep employees safe, minimise fire risks and protect the business. 

Vehicle Recyclers and their national trade associations need to commit to training their employees and members on how to recognise these vehicles, understand the risks, and invest in the PPE and tools required to minimise or mitigate those risks before there is a fatality in the industry.

Andy will challenge the vehicle manufacturers to open up their training to technicians outside of their franchises, to first responders, recyclers and body repair centres, and will also ask them to continue to fit their vehicles with simple High Voltage disconnect devices because in an emergency situation easy access to a high voltage disconnect could be a life saver.


All vehicle recyclers can find a best management practice guide at www.salvagewire.com and can book WAMITAB accredited, high voltage training designed specifically for vehicle recyclers, by emailing andy@salvagewire.com