Electrical Vehicles and Li-ion Battery Manufacturing – What are the actual risks for workers?

The current industry transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles introduces a whole new set of lithium-ion battery related risks to vehicles and battery manufacturers. Very few standards, guidelines, or even best practices are available to help occupational health and safety (OH&S) personnel develop safe work practices to address these risks.This paper presents a powersports vehicle manufacturer’s perspective on assessing these emerging risks to the electric vehicle and high-voltage battery manufacturing process. The paper covers the risks of shock, arc flash, chemical and thermal runaway and the associated mitigation measures implemented. Finally, the paper presents the training structure adopted and an overview of the training content.