Comparative risk assessment of vehicle maintenance activities: Hybrid, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell cars

• Electric shock during repair work was found to be the most important safety risk.
• The handling of asbestos was regarded as the most dangerous activity.
• Maintenance workers should be trained for emerging risks in new technologies.

In this research, vehicle maintenance activities and their safety risks were statistically analyzed. This study focused on three types of vehicle: hybrid, battery electric, and hydrogen fuel cell cars. The repair activities and the risks for each power train technology were identified by a panel of experts. Depending on its frequency and severity, risk values were calculated for each maintenance activity. The method chosen was the staticized group method, which involves collection opinions from a panel of experts. The ten experts finally chosen were asked to anonymously respond to a survey that had been especially designed to reduce bias and ensure the quality of the data. The most dangerous vehicle maintenance activities were the manipulation of asbestos, charging and discharging of high value capacitors, and welding.Relevance to industryThe results of this research reflect the urgent need for workers in the automobile sector to be trained for emerging risks in new technologies.