High-voltage changes tool issue
With every electric or hybrid vehicle on the lift, a question arises that never existed with combustion engines: is the person walking up to the tool cabinet right now actually allowed to use this tool? A 1000 V insulated screwdriver is not an ordinary screwdriver, and a member of staff without an HV qualification has no business at a de-energised high-voltage system – however keen they are to help.
Tool issue is therefore no longer just organisation but part of health and safety. The good news is that both can be solved with the same means.
The qualification levels – simplified
The German DGUV Information 209-093 "Qualifizierung für Arbeiten an Fahrzeugen mit Hochvoltsystemen" (qualification for work on vehicles with high-voltage systems) describes tiered qualifications. Put simply:
| Level | Who | May |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | everyone who comes into contact with HV vehicles (reception, valeting, moving vehicles) | non-electrical work, recognising hazards |
| Qualified person for HV systems | mechatronics technicians with HV training | de-energise the HV system, verify absence of voltage, work in the de-energised state |
| Qualified person for live working | additionally trained | work on live parts, for example on HV batteries |
The exact designations, contents and requirements are set out in the DGUV Information and in the manufacturers' training materials; what matters for the workshop is: the level must be known and documented for every member of staff – with certificate and date – and it decides who gets which tool.
Which tools belong to the HV equipment
- Insulated tools to DIN EN 60900 (VDE 0682-201), tested for 1000 V AC / 1500 V DC – recognisable by the double triangle with voltage rating and year of manufacture. Screwdrivers, pliers, ratchets, torque wrenches with insulated shank.
- Insulating gloves to DIN EN 60903 (class 0 for 1000 V) with leather over-gloves; plus face protection.
- Voltage testers and measuring instruments of measurement category CAT III 1000 V, with calibration – verifying the absence of voltage is the safety-critical step.
- Barrier and marking material: barrier posts, warning signs, lock for the service disconnect, rescue hook.
- Manufacturer-specific special tools for HV batteries and power electronics.
This equipment belongs in a separate, marked location – apart from everyday tools, so that it does not wander off to a tyre change by mistake and come back damaged.
Inspecting and maintaining
Insulated tools are visually inspected for damage to the insulation before every use; a crack, a scorch mark or exposed metal means: retire it. Insulating gloves carry a test date; before every use they are visually inspected and air-tested for leaks, in addition to the periodic test according to the manufacturer's instructions – in many businesses every six months. Measuring instruments need a calibration interval like any other test equipment.
In other words: HV tools are test equipment. They need test intervals, records and a place where the proof is kept.
Only trained staff get HV tools
The decisive step is the loan rule: HV tools are issued only to staff whose qualification is on record and valid. Without a rule, safety depends on the storekeeper knowing every colleague and their training status – at seven in the morning, with three people at the counter.
This is how the rule can be put into practice:
- Record qualifications per member of staff: level, date, validity (refresher according to the manufacturer's requirement or company rule), certificate as a file.
- Mark HV tools as such – category "High-voltage", a number range of their own (HV-001 …), a storage location of their own.
- Link the loan rule: tools in the high-voltage category only to people with the matching qualification; an expired qualification blocks the issue.
- Reminder before expiry: whoever needs the refresher in four weeks is approached in good time – not only when the issue is blocked at the vehicle.
- Log issue and return: who had which HV tool, and when? If something goes wrong, that is the documentation that counts.
Frequently asked questions
May an apprentice use HV tools?
Only within their qualification level and under supervision. Without a qualification on record, the tool issue should not allow the loan of HV tools at all.
How do I recognise insulated tools for high-voltage work?
By the double triangle symbol with "1000 V" and the year of manufacture on the tool, to DIN EN 60900. A tool with merely a coloured plastic handle and without this marking is not insulated within the meaning of the standard.
How long is an HV qualification valid?
That is set by the manufacturer and the business; regular refreshers are usual. What matters is that the expiry date is on record for every member of staff and that a reminder comes in good time.
How it works with Tulz
In Tulz, qualifications such as HV training are recorded per member of staff with validity and certificate; loan rules specify that tools in a category are issued only to staff with a valid qualification – at the counter, at the kiosk tablet and when scanning on the phone. Expired qualifications block the issue, and the reminder comes beforehand. HV tools get test intervals and test records like any other test equipment, and the history shows who had them and when.
Guides in the help centre: Qualifications and certificates: issue tools only with training · Qualifications and loan rules · Inspections · Categories · Log
Further reading: Test equipment management in the workshop · Organising tool issue