Safety in the workplace is paramount and a legal obligation to all employed individuals.
This is equally important in a workshop when working on Electrically Propelled vehicles with their high-voltage systems.
Electrocution is potentially life-threatening if not life-changing and the nature of the presence of electricity is not always obvious as you can’t see it, hear it, smell it and you certainly don’t want to feel it.
Traditionally we’ve always been aware of mechanical hazards on vehicles due to the engine running. It makes a noise, so therefore we turn it off. Obviously with Stop/Start systems we need to ensure there’s no possibility of the engine restarting whilst we are working on it, but usually turning the vehicle off and securing the key should suffice.
When it comes to working on Electric vehicles, we don’t have the luxury of a running engine, so if we want to work on a high-voltage system we follow the correct method to shut it down electrically and it is best practice to make sure we are using the appropriate PPE.
One of, it not the most important pieces of PPE, is to make sure you use a pair of insulation gloves that will protect you against electrocution.
The British Standards Institute are the Global leader in understanding electricity and the standards working with electricity, they have outlined regulations regarding PPE when working with electricity at the workplace. This would be BS EN 60903:2003 Live Working – gloves of insulating material.
Alternatively, there are ‘EN’ European standards and the international standards ‘IEC’ International Electrotechnical Commission that are similar standards, and this would be EN/IEC 60903.
Therefore, not just any glove is suitable, it needs to meet these standards, regarding the use, storage, inspection, and level of protection provided.
So let’s first understand the different levels of protection, these standards are classified as ‘Class’ levels.
There are six levels of ‘Class’ and these are:
Class Test Voltage Usage Voltage
00 2,500V 500V
0 5,000V 1,000V
1 10,000V 7,500V
2 20,000V 17,000V
3 30,000V 26,5000V
4 40,000V 36,000V
With most vehicles HV systems operating between 200 to 800 volts, we would suggest the ‘0’ class glove would be the best choice. However, we are aware that with the development of Heavy Goods Electric vehicles with 1200-volt systems, it would be good to check manufacturers information to ensure you’re using the correct level ‘Class’ of glove.
Next up, how to inspect them before use.
- As the regulations stipulate, there should be an inspection prior to use and a periodic test carried out to ensure the integrity of the glove.
- Essentially, we need to make sure the gloves are up to the job they are intended for and have not been compromised since they were last used.
- As the regulations stipulate, there should be an inspection prior to use and a periodic test carried out to ensure the integrity of the glove.
- Essentially, we need to make sure the gloves are up to the job they are intended for and have not been compromised since they were last used.
Two procedures to follow are:
- Prior to use you should visually inspect them for cuts, abrasions, and damage, manually inflate them to ensure no holes or leaks from the gloves.
- Periodic inspection and electrical testing of the gloves.
This is taken from the regulations:
The lifespan of the gloves when they are stored or used is limited. The Standards BS or EN/IEC 60903 indicate in annex E (informative)
This states:
- E.5 Periodic inspection and electrical testing.
- No gloves of classes 1, 2, 3 and 4, not even those held in storage, should be used unless they have been tested within a maximum period of six months.
- This means that these classes of gloves should NOT be used unless they have been tested and passed in accordance with the regulations.
- The test consists of air inflation to check for air leaks, a visual inspection while pressurised, and then a routine dielectric test.
- For class 00 and 0 gloves, a check for air leaks and a visual inspection may be considered adequate. However, a routine dielectric test may be performed at the owner’s request.
This means that if you have a Class 00 or 0 glove an inflation test with visual inspection should be enough, however if you want to you can have them dielectrically tested. In reality, the cost of this probably would exceed the cost of a new pair of gloves.
In any case, the rule would be, if in doubt don’t use them…..
A few other things to note with these type of gloves:
Storage: Don’t throw the bag that they came in.
It’s designed to prevent air circulation to absorb moisture, you’ll notice the bag is re-sealable. So put the gloves back in the bag and seal it up each time, they will last longer too. Alternatively, you can purchase a glove box or cotton bag which provides more protection of the gloves.
Plus, the bag is designed to reduce UV light, as this can affect the condition of the glove.
- Do not compress them.
- Do not fold them.
- Do not store them near light or heat sources, natural or artificial.
- Storage temperature must be between 10 and 21 degrees Celsius.
- Humidity 60% +/- 10%
Precautions: Gloves should not be allowed unnecessarily to come into contact with oil, grease, turpentine, white spirit, strong acid or any corrosive products. Do not use wet gloves.
Cleaning: With water and soft soap. Dry at less than 65 degrees Celsius.