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Electric Vehicle Charging Point Installation Risk Assessment

Electric Vehicle Charging Point Installation Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
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Electric Vehicle Charging Point Installation Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Electric Vehicle Charging Point Installation through a structured, management-level WHS Risk Management approach covering governance, technical standards and ongoing operations. This Risk Assessment supports compliance with the WHS Act, strengthens Due Diligence for Officers, and helps protect your business from regulatory and operational liability.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Duties: Assessment of PCBU obligations, Officer due diligence, consultation arrangements, and integration of EV charging risks into the organisation’s WHS management system.
  • Design, Engineering and Technical Standards for Charging Systems: Management of design controls, engineering verification, and adherence to relevant Australian Standards for electrical infrastructure and EV charging technologies.
  • Procurement, Supplier Management and Equipment Selection: Protocols for pre-qualification of suppliers, specification of compliant equipment, product certification, and contractual WHS requirements for EV charging assets.
  • Electrical Safety, Isolation and Energy Management Systems: Assessment of electrical hazards, isolation and lockout systems, earthing, residual current protection, and integration with site energy management and switchboard capacity.
  • Location, Layout, Traffic and Public Interface: Management of site selection, vehicle and pedestrian interaction, accessibility, lighting, wayfinding, and controls for public exposure to electrical and trip hazards.
  • Battery, Thermal Runaway and Fire Safety Management: Protocols for managing lithium-ion battery risks, thermal runaway scenarios, separation distances, fire detection and suppression interfaces, and liaison with local fire authorities.
  • Software, Cybersecurity and Data Management of Charging Systems: Assessment of system software integrity, network connectivity, cyber security controls, user data privacy, and remote monitoring and control risks.
  • Worker Competency, Training and Information: Management of competency requirements for designers, electricians and supervisors, including training, authorisation, instruction and ongoing competency verification.
  • Contractor, Installer and Third-Party Management: Controls for contractor selection, WHS pre-qualification, safe work coordination, interface management with landlords and utilities, and verification of licences and insurances.
  • Operations, User Management and Access Control: Assessment of operational procedures for staff and public users, access control systems, payment interfaces, signage, and rules for safe use of charging bays.
  • Inspection, Maintenance and Asset Lifecycle Management: Management of inspection schedules, preventative maintenance, defect reporting, asset registers, and end-of-life decommissioning of charging infrastructure.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Response and Incident Management: Protocols for emergency shutdown, electrical incidents, fires, vehicle collisions, first aid, spill management, and post-incident investigation processes.
  • Health, Environment and Community Impact: Assessment of noise, lighting, electromagnetic fields, pollution, local amenity, vulnerable users, and broader environmental and community consultation requirements.
  • Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement: Systems for performance monitoring, internal audit, corrective actions, WHS KPIs, and periodic review of EV charging risks as technology and usage patterns evolve.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, Facility Managers, Safety Managers and Project Leads planning, procuring or overseeing Electric Vehicle Charging Point installations and ongoing operations across their organisation.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, Legal Compliance and WHS Duties
  • • Lack of clear allocation of WHS duties for the lifecycle of electric vehicle (EV) charging systems (design, installation, operation, maintenance and decommissioning)
  • • Failure to identify and comply with WHS Act 2011, WHS Regulations, electrical safety legislation and relevant Australian Standards for EV charging systems
  • • Inadequate consultation with workers, health and safety representatives (HSRs), contractors and building owners about EV charging risks
  • • No documented WHS management plan addressing EV charging infrastructure, leading to fragmented or ad hoc risk controls
  • • Poor management of overlapping duties between PCBUs (host workplace, electrical contractors, EV fleet operators, landlords, body corporates)
  • • Failure to integrate EV charging risks into the organisation’s existing WHS risk management framework and risk register
2. Design, Engineering and Technical Standards for Charging Systems
  • • Poor system design leading to overloading of existing electrical infrastructure and increased risk of electrical fire or equipment failure
  • • Selection of non-compliant or incompatible EV chargers and components that do not meet Australian Standards or site electrical capacity
  • • Inadequate earthing, bonding and protection arrangements (RCDs, circuit breakers, surge protection) for charging circuits
  • • Insufficient consideration of battery characteristics (high voltage DC, rapid charge cycles, thermal runaway potential) in system design
  • • Failure to provide adequate separation distances from ignition sources, combustible materials, critical plant or emergency egress routes
  • • Omission of redundancy and fault-tolerant design, leading to single-point failures and unsafe conditions during faults
  • • Inadequate integration between EV charging equipment and building management systems (BMS), fire detection systems and load management systems
3. Procurement, Supplier Management and Equipment Selection
  • • Procurement of low-quality or non-certified chargers and components to reduce upfront cost, increasing likelihood of electrical faults and fires
  • • Lack of due diligence on supplier competence, after-sales support and warranty terms for EV charging infrastructure and associated software
  • • Inadequate specification of safety, monitoring and interoperability requirements in procurement documents
  • • Use of incompatible charging connectors, communication protocols or software platforms leading to system failures, user confusion and unsafe workarounds
  • • Failure to include lifecycle considerations (maintenance, software updates, spare parts availability, end-of-life disposal) in procurement decisions
4. Electrical Safety, Isolation and Energy Management Systems
  • • Uncontrolled exposure to live electrical parts during fault conditions, inspection, testing or maintenance activities
  • • Inadequate isolation and lockout systems for chargers and associated electrical equipment, leading to inadvertent energisation
  • • Poorly coordinated protection and load management resulting in nuisance tripping, equipment damage or unsafe manual override behaviours
  • • Lack of real-time monitoring of electrical parameters (current, voltage, temperature) to detect abnormal conditions in charging circuits
  • • Risk of arcing, overheating and cable damage due to undersized conductors, loose terminations or poor-quality connections
5. Location, Layout, Traffic and Public Interface
  • • Poor siting of charging points leading to increased risk of vehicle–pedestrian interaction, collisions or obstruction of emergency access routes
  • • Insufficient clearance for vehicles to access chargers safely, increasing likelihood of impact damage to chargers and associated electrical infrastructure
  • • Inadequate lighting and signage around charging locations, contributing to slips, trips, falls and misconnection of equipment
  • • Uncontrolled public access to charging equipment in shared car parks, creating risk of misuse, vandalism or exposure to electrical hazards
  • • Locating chargers in areas prone to flooding, water ingress or excessive heat, compromising electrical safety and charger performance
6. Battery, Thermal Runaway and Fire Safety Management
  • • Thermal runaway of EV batteries during charging leading to intense, difficult-to-extinguish fires and toxic smoke production
  • • Inadequate detection and early warning of overheating connectors, cables or chargers
  • • Charging systems installed without appropriate consideration of interaction with existing fire detection, sprinkler or suppression systems
  • • Lack of clear procedures for managing EV battery fires, including post-incident cooling and re-ignition risks
  • • Storage or queuing of multiple EVs in confined areas without adequate separation, increasing fire load and propagation risk
7. Software, Cybersecurity and Data Management of Charging Systems
  • • Unauthorized access to charger control systems leading to unsafe alterations of charging parameters, load settings or safety interlocks
  • • Software faults or configuration errors causing overcurrent, overheating or uncoordinated load management
  • • Loss of monitoring data due to system outages, compromising the ability to detect trends, faults or misuse
  • • Reliance on cloud-based control platforms without appropriate resilience, creating risk of chargers defaulting to unsafe operation modes during outages
  • • Poor management of user access credentials and administrative privileges for charging management software
8. Worker Competency, Training and Information
  • • Workers and contractors lacking understanding of EV-specific electrical and battery risks, leading to unsafe behaviours around charging equipment
  • • Inadequate training for staff responsible for oversight, inspection, or basic troubleshooting of chargers
  • • Failure to provide clear instructions and signage for safe use of charging points, including shut-down and emergency procedures
  • • Over-reliance on informal on-the-job learning without verification of competency
9. Contractor, Installer and Third-Party Management
  • • Inconsistent safety standards and practices among different electrical contractors and installers working on EV charging infrastructure
  • • Insufficient verification of contractor competence and licensing for EV charging installations and commissioning
  • • Poor coordination between contractors and site management, leading to unplanned outages, live work or exposure of workers and public to hazards
  • • Inadequate oversight of subcontractors and specialist vendors engaged by primary contractors
10. Operations, User Management and Access Control
  • • Uncontrolled use of chargers by untrained workers or public users leading to unsafe practices (e.g. damaged cables, incorrect connectors, bypassing interlocks)
  • • Conflict between operational priorities (vehicle availability) and safety requirements (fault reporting, isolation and repair)
  • • Lack of system to manage and prioritise access to chargers, potentially encouraging rushed or unsafe behaviours
  • • Failure to promptly remove from service faulty or damaged chargers, cables or connectors
11. Inspection, Maintenance and Asset Lifecycle Management
  • • Degradation of charging equipment, cables and connectors over time leading to increased risk of electric shock, arcing or fire
  • • Lack of systematic inspection and maintenance program for chargers and associated electrical infrastructure
  • • Failure to act on identified defects, near misses or manufacturer safety bulletins in a timely manner
  • • Unmanaged changes, upgrades or additions to charging infrastructure resulting in undocumented risks and non-compliance
12. Emergency Preparedness, Response and Incident Management
  • • Delayed or ineffective response to EV-related electrical faults, battery incidents or fires due to unclear procedures or lack of training
  • • Inadequate integration of EV charging scenarios into site emergency plans, drills and communication systems
  • • Lack of readily accessible emergency stop devices, isolation points or information for first responders
  • • Poor post-incident investigation of EV charging events, leading to repeated systemic failures
13. Health, Environment and Community Impact
  • • Exposure of workers and building occupants to smoke and toxic gases from EV battery or electrical fires
  • • Noise, light spill or electromagnetic interference from chargers affecting nearby workers or neighbours
  • • Environmental contamination from damaged batteries, electrolyte leaks or firefighting water run-off
  • • Negative community or stakeholder reaction to poorly managed EV charging installations (visual impact, access issues, perceived safety risks)
14. Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement
  • • Failure to detect emerging risks, recurring faults or non-compliance related to EV charging systems
  • • Inadequate measurement of safety performance, leading to complacency and erosion of control effectiveness
  • • Lack of structured review following technological changes, regulatory updates or significant incidents
  • • Fragmented ownership of improvement actions resulting in incomplete implementation

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • AS/NZS 3000:2018 (Wiring Rules): Electrical installations — Safety requirements for design, construction and verification of electrical installations.
  • AS/NZS 3008 Series: Electrical installations — Selection of cables for alternating current circuits in relation to EV charging loads.
  • AS/NZS 4777 Series: Grid connection of energy systems via inverters — Interface considerations where EV charging is integrated with on-site generation.
  • AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use.
  • AS ISO/IEC 27001: Information security management systems — Requirements relevant to software, data and cyber security for connected charging systems.
  • AS 3745-2010 (Incorporating Amendments): Planning for emergencies in facilities — Guidance for emergency response and evacuation involving EV charging areas.
  • Safe Work Australia Codes of Practice: Including “Managing Electrical Risks in the Workplace” and “Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace”.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

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