ESD for electric cars – will every garage soon have an ESD workstation?

In view of the increasing spread of electric vehicles, the question arises as to whether every garage that offers repairs and service for electric cars also needs an ESD workstation.

In the following article, we look at ESD protection in the field of e-mobility and the personal protective equipment (PPE) required in view of the high voltage in electric vehicles and the batteries installed.

Due to the complete electrification of electric vehicles, it could be assumed that even greater care must be taken not to damage or even destroy electrostatically sensitive components (ESP) through electrostatic discharge.

However, special equipment is required for the repair-related handling of electric vehicles, which not only provides ESD protection, but also personal protection against high voltage and chemicals, among other things. In some cases, you have to decide whether to prioritize personal protective equipment against high voltage or ESD protection.

Corresponding guidelines are expected from the well-known car manufacturers in the coming months. Nevertheless, we would like to provide our customers with a few points on this topic below.

High voltages can be caused in particular by arcing faults as a result of short circuits, for example. You come into contact with chemicals when repairing electric cars, for example, if battery fluid leaks from the vehicle. Setting up an ESD workstation is therefore not enough if you want to repair electric cars in a garage.

When repairing electric vehicles, it is therefore not only important to know the respective new vehicle types. The safety requirements are also different to those for vehicles with a combustion engine.

When repairing an electric car, the following specific dangers, among others, must be taken into account:

• Electrical hazards due to electric shocks and arcing faults
• Thermal hazards
• Dangers from UV light
• Dangers due to noise
• Dangers from fires
• Dangers from accidents, including cuts and falls

The repair of electric cars therefore poses particular challenges for personal protective equipment. Among other things, the following personal protective equipment and ESD equipment should be available for electric car repairs and used as required:

• High-voltage gloves with thermal protection
• ESD chemical gloves
• Outerwear, flame-retardant and chemical-protected
• ESD clothing
• ESD safety shoes
• Insulating shoes and/or insulating mat
• Helmet that is electrically insulating
• Face shield visor
• Safety goggles
• Hearing protection

High-voltage gloves with thermal protection are so important when repairing electric vehicles because the power lines in an electric car are under high voltage of up to 800 volts. This can lead to electric shocks and electric arcs during repairs.

ESD chemical gloves should be used in areas where there is no danger from high-voltage voltages, but where there is a risk of coming into contact with chemicals such as battery fluids and where electrically sensitive components need to be protected from electrostatic discharge.

In chemically problematic areas, the rest of the outer clothing should also offer protection against chemicals. In addition, clothing should at least be flame-retardant in view of the fire hazard. If necessary for the respective application, care should also be taken to ensure that the clothing is ESD-compatible.

When repairing electrostatically sensitive components, you should always wear ESD safety shoes should always be used.

In order to reduce the risks for workshop employees who may come into contact with dangerous electrical voltages during electric car repairs, the use of insulating polymer boots or insulating overshoes should be considered.

In addition, insulating rubber mats, also known as insulating mats, can reduce the danger posed by electrical voltages in the affected work areas. However, these insulating mats should not be confused with ESD discharge mats. It is therefore necessary to decide whether ESD protection or protection against high voltages is more important for the activity in question. The difference between ESD mats and insulation mats is as follows: While an ESD mat is about earthing the employee, insulation mats are designed precisely to prevent earthing.

When repairing electric cars, the use of an insulating helmet is also recommended if you are working in high-voltage areas.

A face visor should be worn to protect against splashing chemicals in particular. Additional protection is provided by safety goggles. And hearing protection should be used against noise, for example in the form of a loud bang from an arc fault, which is recommended anyway in a noisy workshop environment.

You can find many ESD products in the abovo online store, from ESD gloves to ESD-compatible vinyl battery floor elements. We at abovo will be happy to discuss which of these ESD products are suitable for repair work in connection with electric vehicles with you by email or telephone.

Together, we can look for the right solution for your electric car garage so that you meet the requirements in the ESD area, but also fulfill the requirements of personal protective equipment in the best possible way, especially in the high-voltage and chemical area.