While this trend is encouraging, it presents new and unidentified risks associated with managing such vehicles. Local governments need to give consideration to these risks in their facilities whether they’ll be for staff or community use, and also where EV charging stations are installed whether they’ll be at member owned and/ or run facilities or planning approval provided for their installation.
LGIS’ recently released property conservation guideline ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Areas’ helps members incorporate good practices when considering the installation of EV charging facilities within their premises and other assets. The guide should also be considered by planning departments in the development of appropriate policies and procedures for planning approval.
According to Electric Vehicle Council, July 2023 report ‘State of Electric Vehicles’, 8.4% of all new cars sold in 2023 so far have been EVs. This is more than a 120% increase compared to all of 2022.
Lithium-ion batteries, used in these electric vehicles, pose specific challenges when it comes to fighting fires. They can take a long time to control and extinguishment is not always complete. The battery’s overall energy density can give rise to re-ignition, well after the initial fire is thought to be extinguished.
At its core, LGIS is all about local governments working together to achieve best outcomes for their organisations, people
and community. LGSAG is one such initiative where we have collaborated with member representatives to ensure they can create a safe and healthy work environment for their workforce when it comes into effect sometime next year.
The Workers’ Compensation & Injury Management Bill 2023, currently before Parliament in Western Australia, will enact major changes to WA’s workers’ compensation scheme
when it comes into effect sometime next year.
The importance of employers following internal policies and procedures and keeping accurate records can’t be emphasised enough when effectively managing a worker’s compensation claim. Our first case explores the need to follow one’s own internal polices in the context of a worker’s compensation work related stress claim.
Case study: Poorly maintained EV charger damages vehicle
It is vital that EV charging stations are appropriately maintained. Issues with charging stations and electric vehicles is an emerging concern, and LGIS is starting to see an increase in claims.
In this case, a member of the public plugged their vehicle into a free charging station provided by the local government. They alleged that the charger registered a phase error and caused damage to the on- board charger. Repairs to the vehicle where just over $3,000.
Following investigation of the claim, it was discovered that the member was aware that there was a fault with the charging cable. Due to the member having prior knowledge of the issue and failing to take steps to mitigate the risk, the claim was settled.
Lessons learned:
Members should ensure that a risk assessment is done prior to providing new services to the community. Any new service should only be provided once appropriate mitigation policies and procedures are implemented and understood by all staff responsible. The EV charging station guide provides advice on assessment for these high risk assets. In this instance, the loss was only $3000 but if the loss event extrapolated to a major lithium-ion fire spread, the losses could be catastrophic.
When the local government becomes aware of an issue, it should be addressed as soon as practicable. In this example the charging station could have been marked as ‘out of order’ to make sure it wasn’t used by the public until the issue had been fixed
Each month we take your questions to one of our LGIS team members to answer.
If you want to submit a question for next issue, email us at [email protected]
Welcome to our last edition of Risk Matters for 2023. We always enjoy an opportunity to catch up with members, and in the last quarter of 2023 there’s been plenty.
It’s summer! That time of the year when everyone is ready to celebrate and go on holidays. Tourists all across the country and within Western Australia flock to popular spots to relax and enjoy our beautiful state.
A woman in her 50s lost her balance and fell while stepping up over a concrete mound within a popular caravan park. She fractured her ankle and held one of our regional members liable for the injury and loss suffered, alleged to have been $190k.
LGIS is the unifying name for the dedicated suite of risk financing and management services for WA local governments, established by the WA Local Government Association in conjunction with JLT Public Sector (part of the Marsh group of companies). LGIS is managed by JLT Public Sector (ABN 69 009 098 864 AFS Licence 226827).
Risk Matters, via this website, is designed to keep members, their staff and elected members informed on topical risk management and insurance issues and LGIS programs and services.
