Page 31 - Australasian Paint & Panel Jul-Aug 2020

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While a 12v system is more likely
to produce a dangerous shock, an
HV system could electrocute tha same person. Unprotected contact with an HV system can cause muscular con- traction, deep tissue burning, interrupt heart rhythm and damage the central nervous system. It can lead to the per- son clenching the item that is electro- cuting them.
Being aware an electrocution is hap- pening can save the lives of other people beyond the unfortunate victim. Our first instinct is to help someone in harm’s way, but that will likely make things worse without the right training.
Thatcham Research is aiming to make identification of HV vehicles more trans- parent to the industry at large. We are raising awareness of the issues that we find in our research and supporting the industry to empower them to become
With HVs, disconnecting the 12v system does not make the vehicle safe, so
training is paramount.”
HV safe. Training is by far the most ef- fective solution to these quandaries.
Meanwhile, we are developing enhanced transparency of HVs by adding alerts for vehicle assessors within our escribe sys- tem. We have also introduced training for each apprentice on our programme to sup- port their recognition of the dangers of HV systems, regardless of what discipline they intend to specialise in.
Our HV curriculum training courses cover all aspects of HV safety from minimum requirements of identifica- tion of an HV vehicle, to keeping staff
safe when working on a vehicle and content that deals with more technical aspects. We will develop best practice guidelines to help businesses ultimate- ly become HV safe.
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As mentioned earlier, the increased risk extends beyond the technician who is actually working on the vehicle. This means everybody within a bodyshop, service centre, recovery business and emergency response team will be affect- ed. All of them need to receive training in order to understand their exposure to the potential dangers that HVs bring.
This doesn’t mean non-technical staff at your organisation must become electrical engineers overnight or need to come to grips with the intricacies of repairing HVs.
t
Preparations for BMW iX3 start of production
BEYOND THE
BODYSHOP TEAM
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