HYBRIDS Hybrid vehicle servicing hazards A major safety factor for those who service hybrid vehicles is to make sure the vehicle is “off” because the hybrid system is silent when running on battery. There are a number of safety precautions to consider when servicing hybrid vehicles. By David A. Kolman , Editor, Fleet Maintenance magazine HYBRID VEHICLES BRING WITH THEM NEW dangers to the technicians who have to work on them. While hybrid vehicle manufacturers designed these vehicles with an eye on fuel effi ciency, Peter Zaidel, product manager, KPA, notes that the manufacturers also focused on the safety of service technicians. KPA (www.kpaonline.com) is a nationwide leader in environmental and safety compliance programs for vehicle and equipment dealers. He recommends sharing these fundamental safety basics for serving hybrids with service technicians: 1. How to identify a vehicle as a hybrid. Almost all hybrids share three common identifi ers, Zaidel says. They are: - Hybrid badging on the body of the vehicle, typically the rear right section and underhood identifi ers, including the extra motor and the inverter. - The “Ready” indicator inside the vehicle in the ignition area. - Orange high-voltage power cables. 2. How to determine if the hybrid vehicle is really turned off . “This may be the single most important safety factor for service technicians working in a shop where there are hybrid vehicles, because 8 | ELECTRICAL TESTING SUPPLEMENT | DECEMBER 2016 the hybrid system is silent when running on battery,” Zaidel points out. “Hybrid systems can automatically turn themselves off and on, switching between the high-voltage battery and the gasoline engine, so it is easy for the technician to be unpleasantly surprised that a vehicle thought to be ‘off’ is in fact ‘on.’” He advises technicians to observe the following service protocols. However, “since each hybrid vehicle and model is different, always follow the manufacturer recommended service safety procedures.” - A hybrid is not necessarily powered off until it is verifi ed that the vehicle is powered down. - Keep vehicle keys a safe distance from the hybrid —more than 20’—as many hybrids have a keyless ignition, with on/off sensitivity up to 20’ away from the vehicle. - Always check the vehicle dashboard hybrid indicator to ensure the vehicle is truly “off” before any kind of work is performed on it. 3. How to protect one’s self from high voltage. While the amount of voltage and amperage in hybrid vehicles is enough to be fatal if a technician comes in contact with the highvoltage circuits, the high-voltage system does not ground to the body or the chassis, but rather is isolated from the vehicle body completely, Hybrid vehicle keys need to be kept a safe distance from the vehicle when serviced because many hybrids have a keyless ignition, with on/ off sensitivity up to 20’ away from the vehicle.
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