Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Student Workbook
LV01
Health, Safety and
Housekeeping in a
Vehicle Workshop
LV01/SWB
Student Workbook for Technical Certificates
In Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
MODULE LV01
HEALTH, SAFETY AND
HOUSEKEEPING WITHIN A
VEHICLE WORKSHOP
Contents
Page Page
Introduction 3 Accidents: 23
Causes of accidents 23
The Law: 3 Direct causes 23
Health and Safety Commission and Unsafe acts 24
Executive 3 Unsafe conditions 24
Regulation and Codes of Practice 3 Indirect causes 25
Powers of inspectors 4 Exercise 2 26
Health and Safety Policy Statement 5 Accident prevention 27
Working environment 6 Reporting accidents 28
Legislation that affects maintenance Exercise 3 29
and repair 7 Reporting faulty equipment 30
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Page ………... Page
Fire drill 37 Welding Equipment: 55
Fire hazards within a motor Electric arc 55
vehicle workshop 37 Arc eye 55
Petrol fires 37 High current flow 55
Other fire hazards 37 Gas welding 56
Electrical fires 38 Exercise 9 57
Exercise 6 39
Asbestos: 58
Good Housekeeping: 40 Dangers 58
Practice good engineering hygiene 41 What does asbestos do? 59
What has to be cleaned 41 What kind of work creates asbestos
Cleaning agents and equipment 41 dust? 59
Environment Protection Act (1990) 42
Other cleaning duties 42
Risk Assessment and Record
Maintaining Tools and Equipment: 43 Keeping: 61
Exercise 7 43 Exercise 10 62
Cleaning equipment 44
Company resources 44 Points to Remember 64
Care of equipment 45
Examples of Accidents: 50
Compressed air 50
Hydraulic jacks and axle stands 51
Vehicle lifts 52
Hoists 52
Using pits or sunken workshops 53
Exhaust extraction 53
Abrasive wheels 53
Guards 54
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Introduction
The motor vehicle industry is by its very nature hazardous. If you are to avoid
injury you need to fully understand the nature of the risks that you are
exposed to and maintain a very high level of personal awareness – that is,
awareness of your environment, your actions and the actions of those around
you.
The Law
Health and Safety Commission and Executive
The motor vehicle industry is highly regulated. The health and safety of the
people that work within it is of primary importance, and therefore subject to a
number of regulations.
• implementation of policy
• inspection
• enforcement
The Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) was introduced by the
Government in 1974 and facilitates regulation to:
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The Act enables approved codes of practice to be introduced and to provide
practical guidance.
Regulations are enforceable by law; codes of practice are not but are
admissible in evidence as failure to comply.
Powers of inspectors
• examine and investigate, and to this end can order premises to be left
undisturbed
• take samples
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Health and Safety Policy Statement
• set down the organisation and arrangements for carrying out the policy, i.e.
who is responsible and for what
The company health and safety policy is in short a statement answering the
following questions:
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The working environment
• first aid
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Legislation that affects vehicle maintenance and repair
This regulation requires that any risk arising from the use of substances within
the workplace is studied and the information made available to all affected
persons i.e. those employees who may come into contact with such
substances. COSHH data sheets must be made available so that any
employee, who has doubts about the safety of any substance and its use, can
study the relevant information. The availability of such data sheets should not
be considered as an acceptable substitute for training.
To be suitable and sufficient, the assessment must consider any risks arising
from the use (or generation of) hazardous substances. A collection of
supplier’s data sheets will not suffice as a COSHH assessment. Only the
employer can establish the risk of exposure, as this arises from the way that
the substance is actually used. COSHH assessments must be formally
reviewed at least every five years. Other than in the most simple of cases, a
COSHH assessment should be recorded in writing.
Employers must assess the risk to health and safety arising through the use of
display screen equipment, in particular, the risks of muscular-skeletal injury,
eye problems and mental stress. A record should be kept in retrievable form
except where the workstation is temporary, no significant risk was found, or
the assessment is easily repeatable.
The assessment must take into account the tasks, the loads, the working
environment, individual capability and other factors. Records of the
assessment must be kept unless:
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The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (1987)
There are many other situations in which records must be kept in addition to
those mentioned thus far. Accident books must be kept for a minimum of
three years and under COSHH, local exhaust ventilation inspection records
must be kept for a minimum of five years. Other records which should be kept
but without specific time scale include records of electrical equipment
inspection, details of examinations of hoists and lifts, lists of authorised lift
truck drivers and details of those qualified in first aid.
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The Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act (1963)
With the implementation of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1973) the
general health and safety of all persons at work was protected. However,
much of the specific legislation contained in The Offices, Shops and Railway
Premises Act (1963) is still in force for those specific premises covered by it
and follows closely the provisions identified in the Factories Act such as
machine guarding, ventilation, cleanliness and provision of sanitary
conveniences. Section 27 makes it an offence for an employee to misuse or
interfere with the facilities provided to meet with the requirements of the Act.
These regulations do not apply to new equipment taken into use after the 1
January 1993, which is subject to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment
Regulations 1992. This regulation was introduced for a number of reasons
mainly due to the number of injuries arising from the use of abrasive wheels in
industry, a high proportion of which were due to faulty mounting of the wheel.
Under these regulations every person who changes an abrasive wheel must
be trained, competent and appointed in writing to do so.
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These include:
Records must be kept at the place of work or business for at least three years
from the date they were made.
• traffic route - for pedestrians, vehicles (or both) and includes stairs, fixed
ladders, doors, ramps and loading bays and walk ways
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There are fourteen major topics in the Workplace (Health, Safety, and
Welfare) Regulations:
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The Noise at Work Regulations (1989)
These regulations are made under the provision of the Health and Safety at
Work Act (1974) and therefore apply to all places of work.
Noise control
The first option for reducing noise exposure must be through the use of noise
reduction techniques rather than through the use of personal protection. In
order to determine the best approach to reduce noise levels, it is important to
identify noise sources and noise pathways and reduce the energy in either or
both of these areas.
With machinery, small changes at the design stage can result in large noise
reductions at very little cost.
Other methods of reducing noise are:
• damping - adding a layer of a damping material to the vibrating structure
• silencing - mufflers are devices which reduce the transmission of sound.
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Dangerous Substances (COSHH)
Classification
Speed of action
Acute - the effects are immediate or become apparent over a short period.
Site of action
Local - the site of action of the substance is where it penetrates the body.
Systemic - the site of action is away from the site of contact or absorption.
Explosive
Organic solvents are often explosive. It should be noted that powders that at
face value would appear harmless, could become highly explosive when
mixed with oxygen in airborne form; even custard powder!
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Harmful
Irritant
Corrosive
Corrosive substances are those that have the ability to break down other
substances chemically. They can be mildly aggressive (battery acid) or
extremely aggressive (concentrated sulphuric acid).
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Poison
Substances that interfere with body functions. Organs can be overloaded, i.e.
the liver and kidneys. Lead is a poison, as is mercury. Arsenic prevents the
body from absorbing oxygen; you effectively suffocate.
Oxidising agent
An oxidizing agent is a substance that gives off heat upon contact with other
substances, especially if flammable.
Labelling
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Safety Signs
There are four types of signs, and to aid identification they are a different
colour and shape.
Warning
Prohibition
Mandatory
Fire regulation
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Progress check
1) What does the acronym COSHH stand for?
2) A vehicle falls off a two poster ramp, narrowly missing a technician working
nearby. Under which regulation must this incident be reported?
A) B) C)
5) List the four requirements placed upon an employer under the Health and
Safety at Work Act (1974)?
1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. _________________________
4. _________________________
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Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a method of reducing
injury from risks that are recognised as present, but measures should be
taken to attempt to eliminate the risk rather than protect workers from it. This
is not always possible and therefore PPE is sometimes required and if so it
must be worn. You must protect yourself and ensure others do the same.
Technicians PPE
Your employer is legally obliged to provide you with all necessary PPE to
enable you to carry out your duties safely.
Gloves
Ear defenders
Ear protection should be used for any work that may involve exposure to high
levels of noise. It is often the least obvious of situations that generate
hazardous levels of noise such as a hammer blow on cast iron.
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Safety footwear
Safety footwear must be worn at all times. There are endless ways in which
your feet can be injured in a workshop environment.
Head protection
This need only be worn in circumstances that dictate (such as working under
a vehicle on a lift).
There are hard hats available now that are styled like a baseball cap.
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Exercise 1
Complete the following table giving examples of situations and injuries arising
from such when failing to wear the appropriate PPE.
Overalls
Plastic gloves
Safety footwear
Eye protection
Ear defenders
Hard hat
Dust mask
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Employee Duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act
(1974)
You have a duty of care to yourself and your colleagues. In order to fulfil your
responsibilities you must make yourself aware of the following:
Read your company health and safety policy. Anything you are unsure of
bring to the attention of your supervisor. Ensure you have had correct training
for the tools you use and do everything you can to minimise risks or hazards
that arise with your job.
The way you react to situations can either contribute to danger or reduce it.
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Accidents
Accidents do not just happen they are caused. Quite often, accidents are the
result of a number of seemingly small insignificant failures which when
combined cause a failure of great significance.
Example
The customer goes on holiday in the car with his extended family, towing a
caravan. The customer fails to adjust the tyre pressures in accordance with
the vehicles load. It’s a very hot day and the customer is travelling above the
legal speed limit for a vehicle towing a caravan. The stresses on the tyre
prove too much and the tyre fails. A fatal accident results.
Any one of these failures in isolation would be unlikely to cause the accident.
However, all factors combined made an accident inevitable.
Causes of accidents
As we have seen from the above example, accidents have many causes.
These can generally be categorised into either indirect or direct causes.
Direct causes
• unsafe acts
• unsafe conditions.
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Unsafe acts
• removing guards
Unsafe conditions
• guards missing
• poor maintenance
• faulty materials
• overloading
• wet floors.
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Indirect causes
These are factors arising from the way in which an employee is made to feel
at work, and/or their actions outside work hours.
Social pressure:
SOCIAL PRESSURES
• fatigue
• stress
• alcohol
• drugs
• peer pressure
• money
• culture
• family pressure.
Work pressure:
• bureaucracy
• deadlines
• efficiency
• economy
• lack of experience
• financial constraints
• piecework.
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Exercise 2
Study the following scenario. The parts in italics fall into the previously
discussed categories. They will be one of the following:
Write next to each italic part in the brackets provided which of the above
contributing factors (1, 2, 3 or 4) is applicable (the first 2 are done for you as
an example):
John the technician was late for work (4); the previous night he was out with
the lads and didn’t get in until the early hours (3). It was Jack’s idea to go out;
he wanted to celebrate his recent promotion to workshop supervisor. John
didn’t really want to go - his wife had given him nothing but grief since hearing
of Jack’s promotion (and the new house in a better area of town that was
bound to follow). ( ?) John decided to really go for it at work on that day - if
he could just improve his productivity by 10% or so ( ?), he may be picked
up for promotion as well.
His first job was a bit of a nightmare, a brake reline all round on an old
scrapper. To add to his frustration, his ramp was being used for a clutch
change (because he was late for work), so he had to do the brakes on the
floor. He hated doing brake relines at the best of times as the dust always
irritating his hands and arms ( ?). He had asked the supervisor on a
number of occasions for plastic gloves but they refused due to the cost ( ?).
He jacked up the car at the rear and removed the wheels. Someone had
moved the axle stands ( ?) from where they were usually kept so he
carried on without them. He knew he was taking a bit of a chance but he
didn’t want to go back into the workshop office to ask about the stands in case
they noticed he wasn’t wearing any safety boots ( ?) (forgot them in his
hurry to get to work).
He was making good progress with the brakes at the rear when his good
friend Bill came over to give him a hard time about being late for work.
Bill had took the clock off the workshop wall and shouted:
And with that, threw the clock at him ( ?). As John lunged to the left to
catch the clock, he knocked the car, and the jack (which had never been
much good) gave way ( ?). The resulting accident cost John his left foot,
amputation had been the only option.
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Accident prevention
Research has shown that for every event leading to a major injury there can
be as many as 10 causing minor injury, 30 causing property damage and
hundreds that result in neither injury nor damage. The latter are known as
critical incidents. Recognition and control of these incidents by the supervisor
and all other employees is the true basis of any accident prevention and
control system.
The situation is often likened to a tip of an iceberg, with only the tip of the
problem visible.
Major injury
Minor injuries
Property damage
10 or incidents
30
Root cause of
major injury
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Reporting accidents
The supervisor must enter all relevant details into the accident book. These
details will include the date and time of the accident, the nature of the
accident, any injury that resulted and the action taken by any first-aider or
other medical authorities.
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Exercise 3
Label all the areas of the body that could become damaged, and how, in your
area of work:
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Reporting faulty equipment
In the event of any failure of equipment you must isolate the source of energy
(electricity, engine, water, compressed air) from the equipment. Then, either
place the equipment in the control of your supervisor or label it clearly as
unserviceable. Inform your supervisor of the fault so that procedures can be
put in place to bring about a repair.
Do not attempt to repair the equipment yourself unless trained and authorised
to do so. If faulty equipment is not reported, the next person to use it may be
injured!
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First Aid
Note: First aid practices change regularly. You should make efforts to keep
up with latest best practice and should consider anything in this publication as
out of date until proven otherwise.
First aid is help administered to an injured party until the medical authorities
arrive on the scene. There are two main principles:
Priorities
1) breathing
2) bleeding
3) breaks
4) burns.
This ensures that the most life threatening injuries are treated first.
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Exercise 4
For the following scenarios, discuss what action should be taken. Consider
your priorities carefully in order to ascertain the correct sequence of events.
1. A member of staff falls whilst carrying a wheel, he falls over an empty milk
bottle, which smashes and causes a deep gash in his leg, which is now
bleeding very heavily.
2. A young trainee has climbed up onto a car bonnet with a pole in his hands
acting recklessly. The pole comes into contact with an overhead power
line and the young man becomes unconscious.
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Fire
The Fire Precautions Act (1974)
Causes of fire
Fuel Oxygen
Heat
For a fire to start there must be three elements present - fuel, oxygen and
heat. If any one constituent is missing or removed then a fire is unlikely.
Oxygen is provided from the air all around us and exists in sufficient quantity
for the combustion of most fuels, though other sources are provided in the
form of oxidising agents or oxygen cylinders. Fuels, the second constituent,
surround us in furniture, fittings and decorations in our homes and
workplaces. The third constituent, heat, is also always present, though
generally there is not enough for a fire to start. When more heat is provided,
then the temperature rises and when fuels reach their ignition point a fire will
begin. This has the ability to spread rapidly because of the generation of
excessive quantities of heat (the flame).
Fire prevention requires us to keep any one of the three elements away from
the other two.
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Extinguishing fire
Once a fire does start, we must deprive it of one or more of the three vital
constituents if the fire is to be extinguished successfully:
Types of extinguishers
Extinguishers smother and cool the fire. They are colour coded to aid
recognition of the type of fire they are designed to put out. They are either
entirely the coded colour or predominantly red with a bold coloured block in
the relevant colour stating its type as in the picture shown below.
Water (red) - used for cooling. Fires that are extinguished by cooling are
‘CLASS A’ fires which could involve wood, paper, cloth etc.
Foam (cream) - A variety of different types of foam are available for use in
portable extinguishers. Foams are used for ‘CLASS B’ fires involving
flammable liquids and work by smothering.
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Carbon Dioxide (black) - This is contained in a pressure vessel as a liquid
and is released to smother a fire as an inert gas (turns gaseous upon
expansion). It is normally used on electrical fires as it is non-conducting and
does not damage electrical circuits.
Gas fires - fires involving gases are called ‘CLASS C’ fires and are not
normally extinguished through a traditional extinguisher. Instead, they are
extinguished by starvation; that is turning off the gas supply. If the flame were
extinguished then the leaking gas would produce an explosive hazard.
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Exercise 5
Complete the following table:
PETROL
ELECTRICAL
CLOTH
Fire spreads very rapidly; only if there is little risk and the fire is caught
promptly must it be tackled. Raise the alarm to evacuate and arrange for
someone to call the emergency services.
Means of escape
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Fire drill
By law you should have one fire drill per year. When fire does break out, it is
essential that the occupants of the premises are clear and well practised in
what they should do. All staff should assemble at a pre-arranged point and
the roll taken, so that the fire brigade can be advised of any need of rescue.
The roll should be taken by a nominated fire marshal. Accounting for people
can only be done effectively if some means of recording peoples whereabouts
is in place (such as a sign in/out procedure).
Petrol fires
Petrol fires in garages are severe; many cause serious burns and occasionally
death. Petrol vapour is invisible and heavier than air and will disperse over a
considerable area. Matches, cigarettes or heaters with naked flames easily
ignite petrol vapour.
Oily clothes and cloths are a serious fire hazard. Where possible, avoid their
use.
Welding equipment always presents a fire risk. Never weld anything without
the appropriate PPE - your oily overalls are perfect for starting a fire with
sparks from such equipment.
Electric arc welders create clouds of sparks when using fluxed rods. This
effect is much worse if the flux is damp.
LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) powered vehicles present a huge fire risk and
such vehicles must only be worked on by authorised personnel.
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Electrical Fires
Vehicle batteries and ignition systems can create sparks. A vehicle battery
also gives off large amounts of hydrogen gas. Never go near a vehicle battery
with a source of ignition. Vehicle batteries should only be charged in a
suitable charging station.
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Exercise 6
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Good Housekeeping
In addition, under the Factories Act your employer has to facilitate cleaning of
the workplace.
You have a responsibility to keep your own work area clean and tidy. The
cleaning of the workplace is often referred to as “housekeeping”. A clean
working environment presents many benefits. It is safer and promotes quality
work. You do not see rubbish laying around in a Formula 1 pit do you? Bins
that are overflowing with rubbish present a health risk and a fire risk.
A clean, tidy environment improves productivity. Everything is in its proper
place and therefore easy to find. All equipment is in a clean state and fit for
purpose.
Your customers are far more likely to bring their vehicle to you again if they
can see that your place of work is clean. It shows that you have pride in your
place of work and this attitude is likely to be carried over to any work that you
carry out on their vehicle.
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Practice good engineering hygiene
The removal of any waste materials such as paper, rags and packaging and
the sweeping of floors, pits and sunken workshops to remove dust and dirt. It
is important that work surfaces and machinery are regularly cleaned and that
your own tools are kept immaculate.
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Environment Protection Act (1990)
Your employer has certain duties under the Environment Protection Act and
an offence may be committed if the disposal of waste material is not carried
out correctly. Your employer and supervisors are aware of the restrictions
placed on the undertaking and will instruct you in the methods to be used in
the disposal of waste.
Do:
• place all flammable soiled rags into a flameproof bin whilst waiting for
disposal.
Do not:
Offences against waste disposal laws may result in prosecution of you or your
employer, resulting in heavy fines.
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Maintaining Tools and Equipment
Your tools are your living. Look after them and they will look after you! A high
quality tool, well maintained will give a lifetimes service.
Exercise 7
Identify the faults with the following tools and describe the risks that these
faults present:
Fault -
Risk -
Fault -
Risk -
Fault -
Risk -
Fault -
Risk
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Cleaning equipment
• brushes
• mops
• absorbent paper
• surface cleaner
• general purpose detergent
• vacuum cleaner
• steam cleaner.
Company resources
Company resources are all of the items that you need to use in your everyday
job in order to carry out that job efficiently and professionally. This could
range from a hydraulic press to a mop and bucket.
These resources should be used in the way that is intended in order to work to
a high standard - but remember - each item has to be supplied and paid for by
your company. Your employment depends on the solvency of that company
so do not abuse this arrangement!
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Care of equipment
• choose the correct material for the correct application (what is the best
material for the job?)
• follow diluting recommendations carefully
• measure materials
• correctly store materials to avoid loss
• select suitable storage to avoid spillage
• use suitable protective material to avoid soiling of vehicles and work areas.
Risk Cost
BATNEEC
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Workshop Equipment - The Hazards
Electrical equipment
There are many items of electrical equipment in the motor vehicle workshop.
Fatalities arising from electrical accidents are higher than any other category.
If an electrical accident occurs, the chances of fatality are about one in forty.
The consequences of contact with electrical current are electric shock,
electrical burns and electrical fires.
Risks
If you receive an electric shock from an appliance, your muscles will contract.
If your hand is in contact with the faulty appliance it is likely that this muscle
contraction effect will prevent you from letting go. Electrical current flowing
through your body can upset normal heart activity resulting in death.
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Reducing electrical risk
Do not let leads lie in any liquids, they could short out or perish. In any event,
do not leave cables running across floors for longer than necessary. When
work is complete, switch off, remove plug and store safely.
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Exercise 8
A worker suffers an electric shock whilst using a drill outside. What factors
might have contributed to this accident?
Most fires directly associated with vehicle fuel systems occur during fuel
draining operations, rather than routine repair work on the fuel system itself.
Removal of petrol is often required to effect repairs, however the risk also
arises during the removal of contaminated fuel from tanks following mis-
fuelling e.g. where a diesel vehicle has been fuelled with petrol.
Transferring petrol from one container to another will result in the giving off of
petrol vapour from the receiving container. Unless the vapour is contained, it
could disperse into the workplace and be ignited. Spillages of small quantities
of petrol can generate large volumes of a flammable gas mixture and a petrol
spillage can be ignited a long way from the site of the spillage due to the
spread of the vapours.
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Equipment for removing petrol
The use of a fuel retriever is the safest and most strongly recommended
method for draining petrol. A proprietary fuel retriever incorporates a number
of essential features:
• a hand operated pump for transfer of fuel to and from the retriever
• earthing straps.
Hot work (including drilling) must never be carried out on a fuel tank that may
still contain fuel of fuel vapour. This type of work is best left to a specialist
who will have access to specialist equipment for measuring residual fuel
vapour levels.
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Examples of Accidents
An employee suffered severe burns (62%) when petrol leaked from the tank
while he was changing the sender unit. The tank was not pumped out before
work began and a hand lamp ignited the petrol. Fire also caused extensive
damage to the premises.
The deceased was changing a sender unit, working on a vehicle over a small
inspection pit. He drained some petrol from the tank into a plastic bucket.
The petrol vapour in the pit ignited. The source of ignition was thought to be a
light fitting.
Four people were in a small railway arch garage with the door closed. Petrol
ignited while being drained from a car tank. Two died and two received
severe burns.
During the removal of a faulty sender unit from a fuel tank, a vehicle was
raised on a hoist and two men were soaked in petrol when the unit was
removed. The tank was nearly full and petrol ignited by a gas fire about five
metres away. Both died in the resulting fire.
Compressed air
There are three types of health problems, which can occur when working with
compressed air:
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Dysbaric osteonecrosis - which is a long term chronic condition damaging
the long bones, hip and shoulder joints.
Never direct compressed air onto exposed areas of skin - the air can
penetrate and cause heart failure!
These items are regularly used in motor vehicle workshops. The following
actions must be observed:
• ensure that the jack you propose to use is safe for the job (safe working
load - SWL)
• ensure the handbrake is applied and the grounded wheels are chocked
• for maximum safety ensure axle stands are correctly placed and if you are
working under the vehicle inform others that you will be working there
• ensure all operating levers are not in such a way that they may be
accidentally released
• never lift the vehicle onto more than two axle stands at one time.
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Vehicle lifts
Hoists
Hoists are commonly used to aid the removal of heavy assemblies such as
engines and gearboxes. A few factors must be taken into account during their
use:
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Using pits or sunken workshops
Remember:
Exhaust extraction
Abrasive wheels
Severe friction burns; crushed fingers and loss of eyesight are common
injuries arising from accidents that occur when using abrasive wheels. The
main hazards arise from the ejection of pieces of the wheel or work piece,
contact with the wheel, and trapping of fingers between the wheel and work
rest.
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In one case an apprentice mechanic lost the sight in one of his eyes when it
was struck by debris from a disintegrating wheel. The wheel was poorly fitted
and was operated at a greater speed than its design speed. A burst wheel
can kill!
Never replace wheels on such equipment unless you are trained and
authorised to do so. Never use the side of the wheel unless the equipment is
specifically designed for that purpose. Always ensure that the tool rest is as
close to the wheel as possible without fouling the wheel. To ensure that the
tool rest does not foul the wheel, always spin the wheel by hand before
switching on.
Be aware that grinding wheels take a considerable time to stop once switched
off.
Guards
Guards are fitted to machinery that poses a risk to the operator through its
action. Guards when fitted must always be used. Do not treat guards as a
substitute for eye protection (or vice versa).
If guards are making work difficult due to damage such as scratches, report it
so the guards can be replaced. Do not wait until someone is tempted to use
such machinery without the guards in place.
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Welding Equipment
Electric arc
All welding equipment represents a fire risk. In addition to this, electric arc
welding equipment presents the following hazards:
Arc eye
The light rays given off are a combination of infrared, ultraviolet, and visible
radiation. If you look at the arc you will damage your eyes. This damage is
not normally permanent but feels like someone has rubbed sand and chilli into
your eyes! It should be noted that reflected light radiation from an arc welder
is just as likely to cause arc eye. Never look at the arc either directly or
indirectly without the protection of approved welding lenses. Always shield
other workers from the arc through judicious use of screens and put warning
signs up.
When welding a vehicle, always disconnect the vehicle battery. Never use an
arc welder on systems that contain flammable gas - the current flow could
cause a spark when you least want one.
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Gas welders
Treat the bottles with respect. They are often very heavy and somewhat
unstable. Only move the bottles through the use of a recognised trolley and
always ensure that the bottles are chained securely to the trolley.
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Exercise 9
Guarding
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Asbestos
The Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 requires asbestos to be substituted
where practical, and the substituting material safer than asbestos. From the
1st October 1999 it has not been permissible to:
Dangers
This is an asbestos fibre in the lung. Many people die of lung cancer - most
deaths are due to smoking. An unknown proportion of those may have been
occupational deaths, for example caused by asbestos.
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Working with asbestos can release small fibres into the air. Breathing in these
fibres can cause fatal diseases. Although the body will rid itself of most of the
larger fibres that can enter the nose and mouth, tiny fibres can pass into the
lower parts of the lung. They can stay there for years and in some cases work
their way through the lung lining.
The body naturally gets rid of any asbestos fibres that you might take in with
food and water and asbestos fibres cannot be absorbed through the skin.
Some processes or products give off dust more easily than others, but work
on any of the following is likely to produce some:
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If you have to work with this dangerous material, ensure you protect yourself
by:
• wearing a mask/respirator and wear protective clothing which you must not
take home contaminated with asbestos
• keep the asbestos damp wherever possible and ensure all waste material
is put in a polythene bag and labelled with the asbestos warning sign
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Risk Assessment and Record Keeping
Where the employer has five or more employees, significant findings of an
assessment must be recorded, together with details of any group of
employees found to be especially at risk.
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Exercise 10
Complete the following risk assessment checklist for your current job role.
Date of assessment:
Who by:
4. Risk to property?
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Practical health and safety
Look out for risks in the workshop. Use the inspection checklist while in the
workshop, noting the item and observation.
Then complete the reason, risk factor and consequence. An example has
been completed on the first line for you.
Inspection checklist
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Points to Remember
Although health and safety may sometimes seem to take the fun out of what
you do, you should now understand the importance of your own actions and
those of your colleagues.
Hundreds of people have been killed or injured in the motor vehicle industry;
many of the accidents could have been avoided. It may not feel ‘cool’ to wear
a pair of safety goggles, but how much value do you place on your sight?
Gloves may hinder you, but not as much as painful blistered hands.
Never forget that no matter how expensive the car is that you are working on,
it is not as valuable as you.
Please remember what you have learnt and NEVER take any chances!
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