When doing any sort of work or
inspection on your vehicle it is very important to insure your
safety, and that of others at all times. If done correctly
working on a car or other vehicle is not necessarily dangerous,
but
by taking risks or trying to cut corners you can be putting
yourself into un-necessary danger.
Safely working on cars
Your working conditions
When working on a car it is important to make
sure your working environment is safe. Ideally you should work
in a warm dry place with adequate ventilation. A typical home
garage can be the perfect place for any DIY mechanic.
The floor of your working area should be inspected prior to
undertaking any work. Make sure it is clean, dry and contain no
debris or sharp objects. You should ensure you brush the area
properly before you drive the car into your working area. If you
are going to be carrying out any work that involved running the
vehicles engine (even for a short time) is it vitally important
to ensure you have suitable ventilation. In a typical home
garage I suggest leaving the door fully open and drive the car
in, as opposed to reversing. This is to ensure that exhaust
gasses can escape.
Exhaust gasses are extremely dangerous. Never
work in an environment where you are being exposed to excess
exhaust gas. If you feel unwell at any point stop what you are
doing and get out of your working area right away. Car exhaust
fumes contain fairly high levels of carbon monoxide. This can,
and has proved fatal.
Do not take any chances.
Your clothing
When ever you are working on a vehicle it is
important to wear clothing that both keeps you warm and offers
protection. Ideally you should wear a boiler suit or other type
of overall. Don't wear your good clothes. It is very easy to
damage or destroy clothing when working on a car or other
vehicle.
Never wear loose fitting clothing. try and wear
clothes that fits fairly tightly. If you are going to purchase
a boiler suit, try and choose one that has elastic inserts at
the waste and neck. these help keep the suit tight but still
retain it's comfort. The reason for avoiding loose fitting
garments, is because they can get caught on parts or
components. It has been known for mechanics to be injured as a
result of clothing getting caught in machinery or moving parts.
You should also wear strong foot wear. Shoes or
boots with a steel or re-enforced toe area are always preferred.
You should not work on a vehicle wearing soft shoes or trainers.
Jewellery
When working on, or inspecting a car you should
remove all jewellery. Not only can they easily become damaged,
but they can be a source of personal injury. There are various
electrical components on a vehicle. If an item of jewellery
comes into contact with a live component it can result in serous
burns. you should remove all neck jewellery and earrings. You
should also remove your watch and any rings. If you have rings
that cannot be removed you should tape them up with masking
tape.
Hygiene
Your personal hygiene is very important in
all aspects of life. This is even more important when you are working
on or
inspecting a vehicle. Not only can your skin become dirty, it
can also become infected with various chemicals.
Chemicals such
as engine oil, anti-freeze and brake fluid can all be very
damaging to the skin. You should take measures to project your
self from such dangers. You may want to wear a pair of gloves
when working on your vehicle. Thin latex gloves are the best
option. because they do not impair your sense of touch as much
as thicker gloves would, and thus they do not effect your
dexterity as much.
When working your gloves will very likely
become damaged, but they will offer some level of protection.
For further protection you may wish to use barrier cream.
Barrier cream works by placing a waxy layer between your skin
and the contaminant. This helps to protect your skin.
You should always wash well after you have
been working on your car, or at any time when you have been
exposed to a lot of dirt or contaminant. For bets results you
should use a hand wash that has been designed for this
purpose. An abrasive cleaner such as Swarfega
will be your best bet.
Next: Safely
jacking a car
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