Chapter 4 Safety 73
could trip on them. If tools are dirty or oily, clean
them before you put them away. This will not only
extend the life of the tool, but is also a courtesy to
others who use them.
Clean up spills immediately, before they
get tracked all over the shop. Many people are
injured when they slip on fl oors coated with
oil, antifreeze, or water. Gasoline spills can be
extremely dangerous, since a fl ame or the small-
est spark can ignite the vapors, causing a major
explosion and fi re. Do not leave open contain-
ers of any chemical inside or outside of the shop.
Antifreeze, for example, contains ethylene gly-
col. While ethylene glycol is not fl ammable, it is
harmful to the environment and will poison any
animal (or person) who accidentally drinks it.
Do not allow oily rags to collect in the shop.
Oily rags can begin to decay and build up heat.
Enough heat can cause the rags to ignite. This is
called spontaneous combustion. Always place
oily rags in airtight containers made to contain a
fi re, Figure 4-5.
Using Fire Extinguishers
Although a shop fi re is one of the most
frightening things that you may encounter, it is
important to keep your head and not panic. If
you are familiar with the layout of your shop,
you should be able to quickly locate and use the
nearest fi re extinguisher. The correct fi re extin-
guisher will quickly smother a fi re by cutting off
its supply of oxygen. Fire extinguishers are iden-
tified by the type of fi re that they will put out.
See Figure 4-6.
The three basic classes of fi re extinguisher are:
• Class A—puts out fi res from ordinary
combustibles, such as wood and paper.
• Class B—extinguishes fi res caused by
fl ammable liquids, such as gasoline
and oil.
• Class C—puts out electrical fi res.
The uses for each type of fi re extinguisher
are clearly marked on the tank. Today, most
shops have multipurpose (A, B, and C class) dry
chemical fi re extinguishers, which will put out
all of the fi res described earlier. A fourth class of
fi re extinguisher (Class D) is used on fl ammable
metals, but this type is not encountered in the
average automotive shop.
Never use water to put out a fi re in an auto
shop. If gasoline is involved, it will fl oat on the
water and spread the fi re. Never depend on
a fi re extinguisher to do anything more than
slow down the spread of the fi re. Call the fi re
department fi rst and then attempt to extinguish
the fi re. Stay low to avoid inhaling the smoke. If
the fi re begins to spread or if there is too much
smoke or heat, get out. Do not open doors or win-
dows, except momentarily to leave the building,
as this will give the fi re more oxygen. Never go
back into a burning building for any reason.
Identifying Unsafe Conditions
In addition to keeping the shop neat, identify
and take steps to correct other unsafe conditions
that may develop in the shop. Many of the fol-
lowing statements may seem to be just a matter
of common sense, but they are often disregarded.
If you detect a problem in any shop equip-
ment or tool, notify your instructor immediately.
Assist your instructor in tool repair and main-
tenance. This may involve doing things such
as replacing damaged leads on test equipment,
checking and adding oil to hydraulic jacks, and
regrinding the tips on chisels.
Before servicing any shop equipment,
be sure that the equipment is turned off and
unplugged. Read the equipment’s service litera-
ture before beginning any repairs. Ensure that
all shop equipment, such as grinders and drill
presses, are equipped with safety guards. The
Figure 4-5.
Shops should be equipped with containers for oily rags.
In larger shops, the rags are collected by the shop
uniform service when they bring clean uniforms and rags.
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