EV Infrastructure Risk Assessment Surveys
At present there is no UK legislation that prevents the installation of EV charging infrastructure in any building, structure or workplace.
​
There is an array of guidance available to anyone designing, installing or operating EV charging infrastructure however, non of it is certified as, "recognised industry best practise", and therefore has no legal standing.
That is not to say that some of the guidance available is not good but extensive research from the EV -EXBOX team has shown that much of the widely available guidance neither covers all the risks or understands the true impact of an EV fire.
​
The most recent changes in the UK reflecting fire safety are now included the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
The order requires the “responsible Person” to have undertaken a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment (FRA).
Whether this “ responsible person,” is the EV charging infrastructure designer, equipment supplier, installer, operator, or landowner still remains unclear within the industry.
Insurance companies in the UK have mooted that in the event of an incident where no risk assessment is available all parties may take on a portion of the burden of the legal responsibility.
​
The EV-EXBOX team has now undertaken EV charging infrastructure surveys all across the UK covering a wide range of infrastructure including:
​
-
Open air, multi storey and basement parking structures
-
Bus depots and workshops
-
Commercial depots
-
Petrol filling stations
-
EV hubs
-
Airport facilities (air-side and land-side)
​
What we have seen from our surveys is that designers, installers and operators of EV charging infrastructure are :
​
-
Generally desensitised to the risks
-
Have little understanding of the risks
-
Lack experience or knowledge in managing the risks
-
Are unaware of their role in the ownership of risk
​
This does not bode well for all parties where there is an EV fire at any location where EV charging infrastructure has been installed without a competent risk assessment.
​
The impact of an EV fire may extend well beyond the boundaries of the EV charging location itself. If a fire is allowed to grow rapidly so will the legal liabilities and complications associated with the post fire investigation.
​
A competent risk assessment will be one of the first documents an insurer, the fire services, the environment agency or health and safety executive may ask for.
How can the EV-EXBOX team help you ?​​
The EV-EXBOX Team is the leading UK provider of EV charging infrastructure risk assessments.
​
Whether it is legacy infrastructure or new EV charging facilities that are being designed, installed or operated a risk assessment survey carried out by a competent person is essential.
​
The EV-EXBOX team understand the frequency of EV fires are low but we also recognise that their impact can be high.
​
Our comprehensive understanding of the risks include:
​
-
Risk of fire spread on site
-
Risk of fire spread beyond site boundary
-
Risk of vapour cloud explosion
-
Risk of contaminated fire water leaving site above and below ground
-
Public / Employee Safety
-
Emergency services ingress and egress
​
The site survey will assess the current risk profile of any EV charging installation and make recommendations as to how risks can be removed or reduced.
​
Improvements and recommendations highlighted in the survey always remain as reasonably practical as possible taking into account that they should be both sensible and affordable.
​
Working closely with an innovate network of partners and suppliers we can also help you to install risk mitigation systems that are market leading and proven to work.
​​
Please remember a competent EV charging infrastructure risk assessment does not slow down the role out of EV charging solutions it just allows it to be done responsibly.
​
If you would like to talk to any of our clients for a referral please do not hesitate to contact the EV-EXBOX team, we will happily arrange this.​
