An airbag deploys by igniting a propellant charge. The same holds for belt pretensioners and pyrotechnic battery disconnects. These components are therefore not ordinary vehicle parts but items with their own legal treatment — from competence through storage to transport.
Why they are dealt with before everything else
Depollution requires potentially explosive components to be removed or neutralised before the vehicle is treated further. The reason is practical: an un-neutralised system can deploy during work on the vehicle, during moving or during dismantling — injuring whoever happens to be next to it.
- Driver and passenger airbags in the steering wheel and dashboard.
- Side and curtain airbags in seat backs and roof rails.
- Belt pretensioners in buckles and retractors.
- Pyrotechnic battery disconnects, on many newer vehicles at the positive terminal.
- Active bonnets on vehicles with pedestrian protection systems.
Competence and responsibility
Handling pyrotechnic components carries its own requirements for the competence of the person doing the work. Which evidence is required follows from the applicable law and the conditions of your authorisation; clarify it with the competent authority and your employers' liability insurance association.
Organisationally that means it must be defined who performs this activity, and that record belongs in the same file as the other qualifications. It is asked for in the recurring review — see Authorised treatment facility: requirements and periodic review.
Two routes: neutralise or remove
| Route | What happens | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Controlled deployment in the vehicle | The system is fired and is then neutralised | Where the component will not be reused anyway |
| Removal in the undeployed state | The component stays functional and is handled separately | Where onward transfer is intended |
The second route preserves value but brings the follow-on duties: an undeployed pyrotechnic component stays one, on the shelf too. Storage, marking, access security and transport follow their own rules.
Storage and transport
- Store separately, secured against unauthorised access and mechanical damage.
- Mark them, so that a third person also recognises what they are.
- Keep a stock record. What came in, what went out, to whom.
- Arrange transport. Dangerous-goods requirements apply; clarify with a recipient equipped for it rather than improvising.
- Document disposal, as with any other waste stream.
If an airbag is sold
Reselling pyrotechnic components is a special case with its own legal requirements for seller, buyer and shipping. Whether and under what conditions it comes into question is to be clarified before the first listing — not after the first order.
Technically, restraint systems work with the control unit and must be adapted or coded after replacement. A listing without that note produces the same complaint as any other electronic component — see Used control units: coding, immobiliser, listing.
Operating case: front damage with unknown equipment
A crashed vehicle arrives with deployed front airbags. Side airbags and belt pretensioners may still be active pyrotechnic components. Intake therefore opens a blocked safety workflow before any sales items are created.
- Identify the vehicle: combine VIN and technical vehicle data in one record.
- Establish the inventory: assignments from GET /vin/{vin}/parts support preparation where the source supplies relevant entries. Physical inspection and manufacturer instructions determine the actual inventory.
- Control the risk: the ERP flags airbag, gas-generator and pretensioner items as pyrotechnic and blocks normal storage or shipping release.
- Treat correctly: trained personnel follow the ELV ordinance and manufacturer instructions for removal, deployment or disposal.
- Document release: check and record location, state, operator, competence and permitted recipient before any transfer.
Business value: an early block prevents a safety-critical item from being photographed, stored or shipped as an ordinary spare part. Useful KPIs include unresolved pyrotechnic items, releases without competence evidence, expected-to-actual inventory differences and time to safe treatment.
Sources and legal references
Frequently asked
Does every airbag have to be deployed?
No. It can be deployed in a controlled way or removed undeployed. The second route preserves value but brings storage, marking and transport duties.
Who may remove airbags?
Only persons with the required competence. Which evidence is needed is to be clarified with the competent authority and your insurance association.
May I sell used airbags?
That is a special case with its own requirements for seller, buyer and shipping. Permissibility is to be checked before the first listing.
Why must the battery be disconnected first?
So that the system is de-energised. Control units hold energy briefly afterwards, which is why the manufacturer's waiting time must also be observed.
This article is general professional guidance and does not replace legal advice. The applicable statute and the conditions imposed by your competent authority prevail.