TechSafe – Certifying EV Competency

With the UK Government poised to bring forward the ban of the sale of all hybrid, petrol and diesel cars from 2040 to 2035 in response to the recommendations made by the Committee on Climate Change how are we going to protect those motor mechanic technicians from the potential dangers of new generation from non-fossil fuelled vehicles?
 
Facts:
 

• 35,000 independent service garages across the UK employing 160,000 motor technicians.
• 7,000 franchised service garages across the UK employing 22,000 motor technicians.
• Only 5% of motor technicians are currently qualified to work on a high voltage system.
• 1 in every 10 new cars sold in the UK are electric or hybrids.

 
Source:  IMI, OLEV, SMMT, Motor Trade Association.
 
When maintaining an electric vehicle it is often no more difficult than working on a vehicle powered by a conventional internal combustion engine, however motor technicians must be trained in order to avoid getting shocked by the electrical system.
 
Each garage employer must also ensure that all motor technicians working on an electric vehicle are operating within the requirements of the “Electricity at Work Act.” This piece of legislation is rigorously enforced by the Health and Safety Executive, it is there to protect motor technicians from the potential electrical dangers from the new generation of electric vehicles.
 
Underlining the need for industry led electric vehicle accreditations and qualifications for motor technicians as well as roadside motor technicians and emergency personnel working on electric vehicles the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has developed a suite of accredited training courses which look at the hazards, components and work safety & repair on electric vehicles.  

For more information on Revamp’s  suite of regulated (IMI) Electric & Hybrid Vehicle courses which are reviewed and monitored by the (IMI) regulatory body please check out our course pages here.
 
With the support of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) recommendations to implement a “License to Practice” for those motor technicians working on electric and hybrid vehicles now forms part of the government’s “Road to Zero” strategy.
 
 
“These professionals are currently operating in an unregulated space and we firmly believe that our proposed License to Practice, supported by accreditation schemes, will deliver a higher level of competency, skill and safety for technicians and motorists alike,”
 
(IMI) Chief Executive, Steve Nash
 
 
For further information on the Institute of the Motor Industry’s (IMI) TechSafe standards which has been officially endorsed by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) please open the web link below.