SAFETY & HEALTH

at the motor vehicle repair shop

On a daily basis your garage provides many services to your clients. Consider, for example
vehicle maintenance and tyre repair. In providing these services, you carry out tasks like
draining fuel and handling dangerous substances. These tasks expose you to many hazards
and you and your co-workers could be at risk.

Hazards like fires and explosions can cause you to be seriously injured or even killed. You
could be crushed by a vehicle falling as you’re working under it. You are exposed to other
hazards like waste oils and cleaning materials, along with explosive forces related to the
compressed air within tyres.

This information sheet explains what you can do in certain instances to reduce the chances
of suffering from occupational accidents and diseases. Remember though, that there are
many other hazards you are exposed to other than the ones we cover here and additional
precautions may be required in certain situations, for instance pregnancy. So before you
start any task, stop and ask yourself:

1. How will I do the work?

2. Do I know enough to remain safe and healthy?
All workers must be informed and trained on the hazards and the safe systems of work that should
be followed in the garage. Let’s look at some precautions when working with certain hazards.

Please also contact your local labour inspectorate or occupational safety and health
authority to help you understand the hazards and what precautions to take.
Labour Administration, Labour Inspection and Occupational Safety and Health Branch - Governance and Tripartism Department 
International Labour Office - www.ilo.org/labadmin-osh
TYRE REPAIR
You can be seriously injured while you’re repairing or replacing tyres. These accidents not only
occur because of a falling vehicle but also due to bursting tyres. When a tyre bursts, energy
(compressed air) is violently released through the sidewall and towards workers. The chance of
a tyre failing is even higher if the tyre has been damaged or following a repair.

Inflate the tyre with airline hoses that are long Airline hoses should have quick release
enough to enable you to stand outside the couplings for connection with the tyre and at
likely path of any explosion. the operators working position.

If the tyre bursts you will not be in the path of To ensure that the coupling does not have to be
the explosive force. held in place by the operator and that the pressure
can be released from a safe working position.

Inflate commercial tyres within a cage or clamped to

the floor or other restraining devices.

To confine tyres and their components if the tyre explodes.

Pressure gauges should be fitted to the air lines.

To ensure that tyres are not over pressurised.

Multi-piece wheels and divided wheels must be reassembled with utmost care and you should
follow manufacturer’s guidance in addition to the above safe systems of work.
FIRE AND EXPLOSIONS
Fires and explosions are very common in garages. As a result, garages/workshops are damaged
and people working there may be seriously injured or killed.

Three things (or “elements”) are needed to start a fire: oxygen, an ignition source (heat) and
flammable material (fuel). Because all three elements are present in a garage, workers must
follow safe systems of work to ensure that the three elements remain separated.

Keep the quantity of flammable substances (petrol, cleaning

substances etc.) to a minimum.

This reduces fuel for a fire.

Store flammable liquids in stable sealed containers.

To prevent spillage and flammable vapours being released.

Store gas cylinders outside buildings

in secure cages.

So any gas leaks are dispersed.

Never use thinners/paints or petrol

to light rubbish fires.

Because the vapours can burn

instantaneously in an uncontrolled
manner and injure you.

Carry out hot work (welding and

flame cutting) away from flammable
material.

To prevent the heat generated by such

work igniting the flammable material.
 Clean oil spills, tidy away used oil filters, rags and
paper and store them in fire resistant containers
e.g. a metal bin with a lid.

Because good housekeeping reduces risks of fires and

explosions.

To reduce chances of fire when you need to drain petrol from a vehicle:

Use a fuel retriever.

This minimises the presence of highly flammable petrol vapours

and provides a suitable container to collect the petrol in.

Disconnect the vehicle’s battery.

To remove an ignition source.

Use earthing/grounding straps to earth/ground the

vehicle and fuel retriever.

To eliminate static electrical discharge as an ignition source.

 Keep a foam or dry powder fire extinguisher
present and ensure you know how to use it.

To put out fires quickly and prevent them from

spreading through the workplace.

Work in well ventilated areas.

So an explosive atmosphere is not created.

Tell your colleagues what you are doing.

To avoid unnecessary exposure.

If you must drain petrol without a retriever then, in addition to the precautions
above, make sure to:
Use a hand-operated siphon or independent manual pump
(not electrically operated) with transfer pipework at both ends.

To minimise spillage and potential static electrical discharges.

Use earthing straps to earth/ground the Use a suitable stable metal container that can
vehicle chassis and container. be securely closed.

To eliminate static electrical discharge as an To reduce the risk of spillage and prevent petrol
ignition source. vapour from escaping.
Working under
VEHICLES/TRAILERS
You are at risk when you are working underneath vehicles, raised tipping trailers or vehicle
cabs. You are under a large weight that, if not stable or supported, may fall and crush you.
When you work under a vehicle in an inspection pit there is also a risk that flammable liquids
and vapours may accumulate in the pit and catch fire.

Use correct and maintained equipment to raise a vehicle

and support it, e.g. vehicle jacks and axle stands.

A vehicle supported on inappropriate equipment may fall and

crush you.

Ensure that vehicle handbrake is applied and

Place the jacks and axle stands under a strong the wheels remaining on the ground have
part of the vehicle. been secured.
So the vehicle does not collapse onto them and To prevent the vehicle moving and falling off any
workers underneath. support.

Ensure that the axle stand pins are of the correct

specification (not bolts or screwdrivers).

To ensure the axle stand will remain at the correct height.

Use the jacks and axle stands on flat level ground.

To ensure they will not slip or fall.

When using 2 post vehicle lifts:
- Raise the vehicle to about one metre
- Ensure the lifting pads are in the correct position
- Rock the vehicle before lifting it higher

This ensures that the vehicle is correctly balanced and solidly held
before you start working under it.

Before removing heavy vehicle parts ensure that this will not
affect the vehicle’s stability.

These checks prevent the vehicle from falling off the lift.

When you work on raised tipping trailers or vehicle cabs you should ensure that additional
supports are in position to prevent the trailer or cab descending and crushing workers. This is
because the rams to lift the loads cannot be guaranteed to keep the load raised while workers
are underneath.
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES
While you maintain and repair motor vehicles you are exposed to hazardous substances e.g.
waste oils, cleaning materials, petrol and diesel, gases contained in air conditioning systems,
battery acids etc. You need to control exposure to these substances.

Prevent exposure to vehicle fumes. Do not run engines in closed workshops.

To avoid your eyes and respiratory tract To avoid exhaust fumes reaching harmful concentrations.
being irritated and the risk of lung diseases.

If vehicles have to be run, minimise the If extraction equipment is not available open
running time and connect the vehicle’s doors and windows to create an air flow.
exhaust to extraction equipment.
To reduce build-up of exhaust fumes and exposure.
To remove the fumes from the workplace.
 When draining waste oil:
- Use systems of collection
- Wear nitrile gloves
- Wash hands regularly
- Use hand lotion frequently

To reduce the risk of dermatitis and skin cancers.

Many car components may contain asbestos (a fibrous material) which if you inhale, can cause
respiratory disease e.g. lung cancer. These include, for example, brakes, clutches, heat seals,
and gaskets. Even if asbestos is banned in your country, old car parts can still contain it. Always
assume these components contain asbestos unless you are certain they don’t. When cleaning
wheel and brake assemblies use a specialised vacuum cleaner fitted with an appropriate filter
(tiny asbestos particles will pass through most filters). If this is not possible use clean wet rags
to wipe out drums or housings and when finished immediately place them in a plastic bag and
follow national legislation regarding disposal. Do not use airlines to blow the dust away or hit
the brake drum with hammers as these methods further disperse asbestos particles into the air
you breathe.
The ILO would like to acknowledge that this guidance contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive, United Kingdom and
licensed under the United Kingdom Open Government Licence v1.0.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg261.pdf