Toronto, Ontario — To address the growing electric vehicle (EV) market in Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Prevention Services (WSPS) has collaborated with industry groups and associations to identify the hazards associated with working on or around EV lithium-ion batteries.
Specifically, the WSPS has released two documents, “Plugged Into Safety: A primer on the hazards of working with battery electric vehicles” and “Checklist: Electric Vehicles: Safety Hazards Associated with Working on or Around Batteries,” to update the industry on general information about lithium-ion batteries as well as recommended controls to help stay safe.
According to the “Plugged Into Safety” report, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries “pose many serious health and safety hazards that are unknown or not fully understood.”
While Steve Fletcher, Executive Director of the Ontario Automotive Recycling Association (OARA) says in the paper that, of polled OARA members, only two-thirds are actually “touching EV batteries,” “stakeholders want clarity. We don’t have all the tools and resources to guide a member through it, so our job is to educate them and connect them with organizations like WSPS.”
The white paper specifically outlines hazards such as thermal runaway events, electrical hazards and chemical hazards involved in working with EVs.
Similarly, the Checklist document outlines potential hazards while also providing legislative references and controls for employees and employers alike.
To read both documents, click here.
