STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE: HIGH-VOLTAGE (HV) BATTERY ISOLATION & DISMANTLING

Document ID: SOP-OPS-HV-001

Effective Date: November 2026

Approved By: Brian Bachand, Chief Executive Officer


Compliance Standards: ARA High-Voltage Vehicle Protocol, ASE Level 2 xEV, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303/331–335,

DOT/PHMSA 49 CFR 172.704


1. Purpose & Scope

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) defines mandatory safety protocols, isolation procedures, and dismantling steps for receiving, de-energizing, removing, and staging High-Voltage (HV) batteries (ranging from 60V DC to 800V+ DC) from Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs), and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) at Westover Auto Salvage.

This SOP applies strictly to ASE xEV Level 2 Certified Technicians and ARA-Certified HV Dismantlers. Unauthorized personnel are prohibited from performing high-voltage isolation or pack extraction.


2. Mandatory Equipment & Safety Gear

Critical Electrical Safety Warning

High-voltage systems carry lethal direct current (DC). Never attempt HV isolation or cable disconnection without verified Class 0 (1,000V rated) insulated gloves, eye protection, and insulated hand tools.


Required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) & Rated Tools

  • Class 0 Insulated Rubber Gloves (Rated to 1,000V AC / 1,500V DC) with outer leather protectors. Must be air-tested and visually inspected before every use.
  • Arc Flash Face Shield & ANSI-approved safety glasses (when necessary)
  • CAT IV / 1,000V Rated Digital Multimeter with insulated probes.
  • 1,000V Insulated Hand Tools while working with HVV components and parts.
  • High-Voltage Safety Rescue Hook (staged within 10 feet of the dismantling bay).
  • Non-Conductive Isolation Matting (HV-rated rubber matting for floor staging).


3. Procedure Workflow


Stage 1: Triage, Hazard Screening & Quarantine

  1. Initial Inspection: Upon arrival, inspect the vehicle for thermal damage, off-gassing, swelling, active coolant leaks, or battery casing breaches.Log vehicle in upon arrival and make notice to staff. If a vehicle or battery is compromised, contact the chain of command. 
  2. Thermal & Breach Quarantine: If thermal runaway, smoke, sparks, or fluid leaks are detected, immediately route the vehicle to the designated outdoor HV Quarantine Staging Area (minimum 50 feet clear of structures and combustible inventory). Maintain a 48-hour monitoring hold.
  3. Safety Signage: Affix an "ARA DANGER: HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTERY INTACT" magnet/sticker to the windshield, hood, and rear quarter panels. Make staff aware of the vehicle's presence. Create a plan to streamline vehicle tenure.


Stage 2: Vehicle De-Energization & High-Voltage Isolation

Perform the following steps in strict chronological order:

1.Establish Safety Perimeter, Inventory & Key Isolation: TBD time

Position the vehicle in the dedicated indoor HV Depollution Bay. Set perimeter stanchions and signage. Thoroughly inspect vehicle, set and check vehicle contact lift points. Record observations if vehicle or battery is compromised

Thoroughly test, record and document (photos/vids) of parts inventory including battery state of health diagnostics along with visual evidence of vehicle and battery condition and safety. 

Turn the vehicle ignition OFF, remove the key fob/card, and lock it inside a Faraday Signal-Blocking Box located at least 20 feet away from the vehicle.

Verification: Vehicle instrument cluster and ambient displays are completely dark.

2.Disconnect 12V Auxiliary Power: 3 mins.

Don Class 0 PPE. Locate and disconnect the negative terminal of the 12V auxiliary battery. Insulate the terminal cable end with 1,000V rated vinyl electrical tape to prevent accidental contact.

Verification: Multimeter reads 0V across the 12V auxiliary terminal connections.

3.Pull & Lockout High-Voltage Service Disconnect (MSD): 10 mins.

Locate the Manual Service Disconnect (MSD) plug or HV service switch (refer to the vehicle OEM spec in the ARA EV Battery Database). Pull the MSD plug, attach a Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) padlock, and place the MSD into the assigned technician's tool cart lockbox. Log LOTO event into log book with date, stock # and last 4 of vin # for confirmation. 

Verification: Visual confirmation that the service bridge circuit is physically broken and locked.

4.Capacitor Discharge Passive Wait Period: 15 mins.

Allow a mandatory 15-minute passive discharge window for internal high-voltage inverter and converter capacitors to bleed off residual energy.

Verification: Timer countdown completed prior to touching high-voltage cables or junction blocks.

5.Zero-Energy Verification (Voltage Test): 5 mins.

Using a CAT IV 1,000V multimeter, probe the high-voltage junction box terminals or inverter power leads. Test meter accuracy on a known live source first, test the vehicle HV terminals, then re-verify the meter on the live source.

Verification: Multimeter confirms 0.00 Volts DC across all high-voltage terminals.


Stage 3: Battery Pack Dismantling & Removal

  1. Fluid Depollution: Drain the high-voltage battery cooling system into dedicated glycol recovery tanks prior to hose disconnects.
  2. Cable Disconnection & Capping: Disconnect high-voltage orange cables using insulated tools. Immediately cap open high-voltage terminals and cable ends with insulated protective rubber boots or 1,000V electrical tape.
  3. Mechanical Extraction: Support the battery assembly from underneath using an insulated hydraulic lift table or specialized EV forklift attachment. Remove structural chassis mounting bolts. Slowly lower the pack, maintaining level orientation to prevent mechanical strain.Use assistance for Hybrid Battery removal if inside the vehicle following similar protocol of EV depollution.
  4. Depollution Protocol: Follow company depollution policy for draining, inspecting, recording, and removal of all hazardous materials, stock parts, inquiry items, cores and other designated commodities. Log depollution sheet and mark vehicle as “HVV Vehicle” according to designation. Marked vehicle processed.
  5. Post-Removal Vehicle Status Update: Immediately remove the "Battery Intact" warning signs and apply an "ARA HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY REMOVED" status sticker to the vehicle body before releasing it to conventional dismantling or crushing.


4. Storage, Packaging & Hazmat Shipping Protocol

Battery Removal ➔ Intact/Damage Audit ➔ Rubber Mat Staging ➔ DOT Class 9 Labeling ➔ UN-Certified Storage Bay


  • Staging Standards:     Never place extracted HV batteries directly on concrete floors. Store all packs horizontally on non-conductive, fire-retardant rubber insulation matting or heavy-duty plastic containment pallets.Batteries must be organized and sorted by chemistry. Log into the warehouse battery roster with appropriate location. Confirmed battery security in designated location and that is it marked and tagged correctly and accordingly.
  • Environmental Controls: Storage bays must be climate-monitored, moisture-free, sheltered from direct sunlight, and equipped with overhead thermal camera sensors.
  • DOT / PHMSA Transport Compliance (49 CFR 172.704):
  • All outgoing packs must be audited for state of charge (SOC under 30% for transport safety).
  • Affix Class 9 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods hazardous material labels alongside UN-certified battery markings (UN 3480 for Lithium-ion).
  • Any pack flagged as compromised, damaged, or defective must be packaged in UN-rated steel explosion-resistant shipping overpacks with non-conductive fire-suppression cushioning (e.g., PyroBubbles or CellBlock media).