Lesson 4.2 — Housekeeping, Recycling & the Battery Waste Stream
PC 4.2: clear the work area and dispose of or recycle materials according to workplace procedures. EV work produces a distinctive waste stream: contaminated gloves past retest date, damaged insulated tools (tag out, never redeploy), coolant from battery thermal loops, and — the big one — lithium battery components. Damaged lithium cells are dangerous goods: they are quarantined in a ventilated area away from combustibles, ideally in a sand-lined or fire-rated container, and consigned only to licensed recyclers. Cambodia's e-waste channels are developing fast; a professional workshop keeps its recycler agreements current, because a landfilled lithium module is both an environmental crime and a fire that has not happened yet.
Key points
- Faulty tools and out-of-date gloves: identify, tag, isolate — never back in the drawer
- Damaged lithium cells/modules: quarantine, ventilate, licensed recycler only
- Battery coolant and electrolyte-contaminated absorbents follow hazardous waste procedures
- A clean bay is a safety control: cables coiled, mat stored flat, extinguisher back on its hook
