What this checklist covers
Electric and hybrid vehicles carry high-voltage systems that can cause serious injury if worked on incorrectly. The controls are well known: only qualified people work on them, the system is isolated and locked out before work, insulated tools and PPE are used, the work area is marked, and everyone knows what to do in an emergency. This checklist checks each of those controls in the workshop.
The High-Voltage Safety Checklist is a 15-point scorecard for HV isolation, lockout/tagout, PPE, warning signs, emergency response, and technician safety discipline. Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on what the auditor sees on the day, and every gap goes into an action plan with an owner and a close date.
AutoSmart tip: HV safety is the one area in this checklist library where a non-compliant finding must stop work immediately, not trigger a corrective action plan. An isolated HV system that was not voltage- verified, a technician working without inspected HV gloves, or HV work proceeding without a second person aware — any of these is an imminent injury risk. Correct before resuming, not after.
The checks
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HV isolation and lockout/tagout
- Is a documented HV isolation procedure in place covering the specific steps for de- energising each EV/HV system — including service disconnect removal, capacitor discharge time, and voltage verification?
- Is a lockout/tagout (LOTO) system in place and used consistently, ensuring the isolated vehicle cannot be re-energised while work is in progress?
- Is voltage verified as zero using an approved HV-rated meter after isolation and before any HV component is touched — with verification documented on the job card?
- Are HV isolation procedures specific to each EV model serviced — not generic — with OEM isolation instructions accessed and followed for each job type?
PPE and warning signs
- Are Class 0 insulating gloves (or higher, as required by OEM specification) available, within their test validity period, and inspected for damage before each HV job?
- Are HV-rated tools (insulated screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches) segregated from standard tools, clearly identified, and inspected for insulation integrity before use?
- Are HV warning signs posted at the vehicle being worked on during HV work, clearly visible from all approach angles to the bay?
- Is HV area access restricted to certified technicians while live HV work is in progress, with physical barriers or signage preventing unauthorised entry?
Battery handling and emergency response
- Is a documented emergency response procedure available in the EV bay, covering the specific steps for HV contact, electrical shock, and battery thermal event?
- Are all staff in the workshop briefed on what to do in an EV emergency — not only the HV- certified technician — including how to call for help and keep clear of the hazard zone?
- Is appropriate fire suppression equipment available in the EV bay for the specific battery chemistry in use, with staff trained on its application?
Technician safety discipline
- Is compliance with HV safety procedures verified through periodic observation — not only through training records — with any deviation treated as a safety incident, not a process lapse?
- Are HV near-misses logged and reviewed as a safety event, with root cause identified and corrective action taken before HV work resumes?
- Is a second-person awareness protocol followed for live HV work, with a second trained person aware of the work in progress and positioned to respond in an emergency?
- Is HV safety compliance reviewed at management level on a regular cycle, with compliance rate tracked and any downward trend treated as an immediate operational priority?
How to run it
How the scoring works
Before the visit, fill in the dealer or centre, the auditor, the date and the audit cycle. Then score each of the 15 checks from 1 to 5 on what you see on the day, not on what the site aims for, and add them up out of 75.
- 1Not in place
- 2Attempted
- 3Defined
- 4Managed
- 5Fully sustained
- Green60–75 · 80–100%Compliant. Keep the standard.
- Amber38–59 · 50–79%Improvement needed: a structured action plan within 30 days.
- Red0–37 · Below 50%Priority intervention, escalated to regional management.
Then close every gap
Each gap goes into the action plan tracker and moves through four stages until the auditor closes it.
- 1PendingOwner and close date set
- 2In progressWork under way, evidence gathered
- 3CompletedEvidence submitted for review
- 4ApprovedVerified and closed by the auditor
Questions about this checklist
Who can work on high-voltage systems?
Only technicians trained and qualified for high-voltage work on that type of vehicle, following the manufacturer’s procedures.
How often should insulated gloves be checked?
Visually and with an air test before every use, plus periodic testing as the manufacturer of the gloves specifies.
Where should damaged batteries go?
To a designated, marked quarantine area away from buildings and other stock, as the manufacturer’s guidance sets out.
