F1 to ensure KERS safety for marshals

Jan.28 (GMM) Warning lights, insulated gloves and colour-coding will help keep F1 marshals safe from the dangers of new KERS technology, Charlie Whiting told the media on Tuesday.

The dangers posed to drivers and team personnel by the high-voltage systems has been often discussed, but also at risk are the trackside marshals, whose mainly voluntary job it is to recover stricken or crashed cars.

"It's several hundred volts and the potential to be tens of amps, pretty lethal," said Renault technical director Bob Bell recently. "And it's DC, so if you hold it you cannot let go."

A KERS Safety Working Group has been chaired by BMW, the team whose mechanic was electrically-shocked during early testing of the new energy re-use technology.

FIA delegate Whiting said a document prepared by the Group will shortly be circulated to all race hosts, in order to educate the marshals and other workers who will be exposed to KERS systems in 2009.

"There will be things like the KERS status warning light that will be on all cars," he said.

"If there's a risk, it should be clear to a marshal who walks up to the car. He should approach the vehicle, look at the KERS status light and, if it is in the wrong state, he shouldn't touch the car," said Whiting.

Another safety measure for marshals will be the colour-coding of potentially high-voltage parts, and the mandatory use of gloves "which are good for a thousand volts", Whiting explained.