Chapter 4 Safety 71
Results of Accidents
An accident may result in injuries that keep
you from working or enjoying your time off.
Some accidents can kill. Even slight injuries are
painful and annoying, and may impair your
ability to work and play. Even if an accident
causes no personal injury, it can result in prop-
erty damage. Damage to vehicles or shop equip-
ment can be expensive and time-consuming to
fi x, and could even cost you your job.
No mature and competent automotive tech-
nician wants to be injured or cause property
damage. Even if immediate problems do not
occur, remember that carelessness in the shop
can also lead to long-term bodily harm, such as
emphysema and cancer from prolonged contact
with harmful liquids, vapors, and dust.
Keep Safety in Mind
Even the most experienced technician can
become rushed and careless when under pres-
sure. Pressure to complete a job on time eventu-
ally occurs in every shop. Falls, fi res, injuries to
hands and feet, explosions, electric shocks, and
asphyxiation occur in auto repair shops every
day. For these reasons, the technician must keep
safety in mind at all times. This is especially
true when pressure to complete a job tends to
make safety the last thing on his or her mind.
Reducing the Possibility of Accidents
While it is true that some accidents are
unavoidable, it makes sense to reduce the possibil-
ity of their occurrence as much as possible. Most
accidents occur because of the following reasons:
• Wearing improper clothing.
• Not using protective equipment.
• Failure to keep the shop neat.
• Improper service procedures.
• A combination of all of these.
Prevent accidents by maintaining a neat work-
place, using safe methods and common sense when
making repairs, and wearing protective equipment
when needed. The following sections give some
suggestions for reducing the possibility of accidents.
Dressing for Safety
The technician who keeps himself neat
and clean is usually a safe worker. However,
the most basic way to dress for safety is to wear
appropriate work clothes and avoid dangerous
clothing. Do not wear open jackets or sweaters,
scarves, or shirts with long, loose sleeves. They
can get caught in the moving parts of an engine
or machine and pull you in. Ties, belts, and sus-
penders, if they must be worn, should be kept
away from moving parts. If you wear your hair
long, keep it away from moving parts by tying it
up or securing it under a hat.
Remove any rings, watches, or other jewelry.
Jewelry can get caught in moving parts, result-
ing in severe injury to your hands or fi ngers. If
the jewelry creates a short circuit, or is caught
between a positive battery terminal and ground,
severe burns will result.
Safety shoes, preferably with steel toe
inserts, should be worn at all times. Most good-
quality safety shoes are constructed using mate-
rials that are oil and chemical resistant, giving
the shoe a longer life expectancy in a harsh shop
environment. Safety shoes have soles that are not
only slip resistant, but also provide support and
comfort. This is an important feature, since most
technicians must stand on a concrete fl oor for an
entire workday. Safety shoes also offer protec-
tion for the toes and feet. In any shop, there is a
constant danger of falling parts or tools. Since
such an incident can occur at any time, it is a
good idea to wear safety shoes whenever you
are in the shop. See Figure 4-2.
Personal Protective Equipment
Some personal protective equipment must
be used in certain situations. This equipment
protects you from personal injury, and if used
regularly, also protects you from long-term ill-
nesses, such as cancer. The type of personal
Figure 4-2.
Safety boots, such as those shown here, will help protect
your feet from injury.
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