By Kevin Howlette, Director of Projects, EHS International

Across workshops, recycling facilities, fleet depots and industrial sites, I am repeatedly asked the same question:

“We have isolation procedures in place. Surely that covers battery risk?”

Unfortunately, not always.

As lithium ion battery systems become standard across transport and energy infrastructure, many organisations are operating with controls designed for a different era. The most common gaps we identify include:

Powered Down Is Treated as Safe  

Switching off an EV or battery system does not eliminate stored energy, often referred to as stranded energy. High voltage packs can retain dangerous charge. Capacitors can remain energised for several minutes after shutdown.

Without formal lockout, verification of absence of voltage and controlled discharge, exposure risk remains.

No Site Specific De-Energising Procedure

Manufacturer manuals may exist, but there is no documented, step by step procedure tailored to the specific tasks being carried out on site. Informal knowledge replaces structured control.

Weak Lockout and Tagout Practices

Isolation points are not physically secured. Tags are inconsistent. Multiple personnel work on the same system without clear control ownership. This creates the potential for accidental re-energisation.

Damaged Batteries Stored With Functional Units

Compromised batteries are not always segregated or quarantined from functional units. A single unstable cell can escalate rapidly into thermal runaway.

Temperatures can exceed 700°C within seconds, often with minimal visible warning.

Segregation and monitored quarantine are essential controls.

No Arc Flash Risk Assessment

High voltage systems introduce arc flash hazards. Yet PPE and protection levels are often based on general workshop standards rather than electrical hazard analysis.

What Arc Flash Control Actually Requires

An arc flash risk is considered controlled only when one of the following applies:

• The equipment is placed into an electrically safe working condition through full de-energisation, lockout and verified absence of voltage
• The task does not involve interaction that could initiate arcing within the defined working distance
• Appropriate arc rated PPE and protective controls are in place based on a formal arc flash assessment

Typical PPE for high voltage battery isolation may include:

• Insulated safety footwear
• Double insulating gloves with outer mechanical protection
• Insulated tools rated for the system voltage
• Safety glasses and appropriate head protection
• Air supplied respiratory protection where off-gassing risk exists
• Gas detection equipment
• Flame resistant or chemically protective suits such as Tyvek where required

PPE selection must always be based on risk assessment and system voltage rating.

Limited Staff Awareness of Early Warning Signs

Swelling, hissing, heat generation and odour are not always recognised as precursor indicators. Early intervention opportunities are missed.

These gaps are rarely deliberate. They reflect the pace at which battery technology has entered environments not originally designed for it.

What Battery De-Energising Actually Means

Battery de-energising is a structured, verified process to safely isolate stored electrical energy before work begins.

It typically includes:

• Controlled system shutdown
• Isolation of auxiliary and high voltage circuits
• Removal of service disconnects
• Lockout and tagout controls
• Verification of absence of voltage using approved testing equipment
• Safe discharge of residual energy

In many EV systems, voltage exceeds 400 volts and may approach 800 volts. The margin for error is extremely small.

De-energising is not a tick box exercise. It is a critical life safety control.

Operational Experience in Practice

Since 2023, EHS International has been actively de-energising lithium ion battery systems as part of controlled dismantling and recycling operations.

To date, we have successfully isolated and processed over 40 tonnes of lithium ion battery units prior to recycling.

This work has required formal isolation verification, arc flash risk assessment, controlled discharge protocols and structured segregation of damaged units. It has also required close coordination between engineering, fire safety and environmental compliance teams.

Battery de-energising is not theoretical for us. It is operational practice.

Who This Matters To

Battery de-energising is essential for:

• Electric vehicle repair centres
• Automotive dismantlers and recyclers
• Fleet operators transitioning to EV
• Battery energy storage facilities
• Manufacturing sites using high capacity battery units
• Emergency response teams
• Facilities storing damaged EVs following collision

If your organisation stores, services, dismantles or charges lithium ion batteries, this risk applies to you.

Responsibility Is Shared but Must Be Led

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employers must ensure systems of work are safe and without risk to health. That obligation extends fully to lithium ion battery hazards.

Employers and Duty Holders

• Update risk assessments to reflect battery hazards
• Implement documented isolation procedures
• Provide appropriate PPE and insulated tools
• Ensure competent personnel undertake de-energising

Managers and Supervisors

• Enforce procedural compliance
• Control isolation points
• Investigate deviations and near misses
• Ensure only trained individuals carry out high voltage work

Technicians

• Follow documented procedures precisely
• Verify absence of voltage
• Never assume a system is safe
• Escalate uncertainty immediately

Directors and Senior Leadership

• Invest in infrastructure and training
• Integrate battery risk into governance and fire strategy
• Treat battery safety as a strategic issue, not a technical afterthought

Battery risk management is not delegated away. It must be led.

When battery de-energising procedures fail, the consequences extend beyond immediate safety risk. A serious electrical incident can trigger regulatory scrutiny, formal investigation and potential enforcement action. Operations may be paused while root cause analysis is conducted and corrective measures are implemented. What begins as a technical oversight can quickly become an operational disruption with wider commercial implications.

The Fire Risk Link

Improper isolation increases the likelihood of:

• Electrical ignition
• Short circuit events
• Thermal runaway
• Re-ignition after suppression

Lithium ion battery fires behave differently from conventional fires. They may require specialist extinguishing agents, quarantine procedures and thermal monitoring.

Isolation is the first line of defence. Fire strategy is the second.

Both must align.

Battery risk does not need to become an incident before it becomes a priority.

If your organisation is storing, dismantling or servicing high voltage systems, an independent review provides clarity. In many cases, organisations discover that their controls are partially compliant but operationally inconsistent.

That gap is where exposure sits.

A serious battery related incident can lead to extended site closure, environmental contamination from fire suppression runoff, investigation by the HSA, increased insurance scrutiny and long term reputational impact. These outcomes are not theoretical. They are the realistic consequences organisations face when battery risk is not proactively managed.

Battery systems are now embedded across modern industry. Safe de-energising must become embedded practice.

In my experience, the organisations that act early reduce injury exposure, fire risk and operational disruption. Those that delay often change only after a near miss or incident.

Battery technology is evolving rapidly. Safety systems must evolve with it.

How EHS International Supports Organisations

At EHS International, we do not approach battery de-energising as a standalone technical procedure. We integrate it into a broader risk management framework.

Our Lithium Ion Battery Fire Safety services include:

Specialist Risk Assessment

• Battery risk assessments
• Site specific hazard audits
• Arc flash analysis
• Isolation procedure review
• Fire strategy integration

Procedure Design and Implementation

• Structured battery de-energising protocols
• Lockout and tagout frameworks
• Competency matrices
• Emergency response planning

Practical Training

• Hands on isolation workshops
• Recognition of thermal runaway precursor signs
• Supervisor level oversight training
• Scenario based emergency response exercises

Fire Safety Integration

• Lithium ion appropriate extinguishing solutions
• Battery quarantine layout design
• Thermal imaging and monitoring recommendations
• Business continuity planning

On Site Advisory Support

• Immediate hazard stabilisation
• Independent compliance audits
• Leadership engagement
• Culture development

We combine engineering controls, behavioural safety and regulatory compliance into workable, site specific solutions.

If your organisation is unsure whether its current controls are robust enough, that uncertainty alone is reason to review them.

Kevin Howlette