INFORMATION SHEET 1.

2
PERFORM PHYSICAL AND FUNCTIONAL INSPECTION

Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:

1.1 Walk-around is conducted according to industry practices.

1.2 Factory-loaded parts are inspected following manufacturer’s standard
procedure.
1.3 Vehicle is restored following standard operating procedures.
1.4 Vehicle is checked following standard operating procedures.
1.5 Minor corrective measures are applied following manufacturer’s
manual.
1.6 Inspection checklist is accomplished based on manufacturer’s
standards.
1.7 PPEs are worn based on OSHS.

1.2.1 WALK-AROUND IS CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO INDUSTRY

PRACTICES.

What is a physical inspection of a car?

A vehicle inspection or circle check is a physical and visual inspection of the
vehicle before you use it. Making a report of issues helps to make sure the
vehicle is safe to use. Use the vehicle manual or manufacturer's guide to
help customize your inspection.

How would you perform a state physical inspection on a car?

Let's dive right in.
• Inspection details: Record the vehicle inspector's details.
 • Brakes: Check the brakes.
• Bumpers: Check front bumper.
• Interior: Check the horn.
• License and insurance details: Check the operator's driver's license.
• Lights: Check headlights.
• Mirrors: Check outside mirrors.
• Tires

What are the three types of vehicle inspection?

Some companies use more or fewer steps or do their inspections in a
different order, but the same parts of the vehicle have to be checked every
time. You are responsible for three types of vehicle inspections:
• Pre-trip
• On-the-road
• Post-trip

Caution: Before you leave on your trip remember to: buckle up!

1.2.2 FACTORY-LOADED PARTS ARE INSPECTED FOLLOWING

MANUFACTURER’S STANDARD PROCEDURE.

AUTOMOTIVE PARTS QUALITY CONTROL

The Automotive industry has an enormous responsibility to guarantee

vehicle safety and satisfaction for the billions of consumers who travel by
road every day. Automotive parts are expected to have zero defects, without
exception. Substandard products can endanger lives and damage a brand’s
reputation, profit margins, and ability to meet contractual obligations.
Manufacturers, importers, and retailers involved in automotive parts
manufacturing in China must implement a rigorous quality management
program.

AQF offers product-specific automotive parts inspection services in China.

These services can be implemented at each step of the product’s
development. Our expertise extends to the full range of automotive
components including belts, brakes, filters, replacement lights, catalytic
converters, pipes, and exhaust manifolds.

AQF verifies a supplier’s ability to meet the highest automotive standards

ISO TS 16949 or VDA 6.3. AQF technical inspectors monitor the whole
manufacturing process from design validation to mass production via the
ramp up phase, ensuring only those goods which conform to the rigorous
standards are shipped

Automotive parts quality control approach

Quality control of automotive parts requires specialized engineering

knowledge, considerable hands-on experience, and a keen focus on detail.
AQF technical engineers take into account your main concerns and unique
product specifications, to build a customized automotive parts inspection
checklist. AQF inspectors then use highly accurate instruments to conduct
a series of measurements and on-site checks. This data verifies the quality
of mass production based on your criteria and tolerances, international
regulations, safety standards, and our extensive industry know-how.

Some tests on automotive parts require a controlled environment to

analyze their compliance with the standards and regulations of your
destination country. AQF inspectors collect products in-line and forward
them to an accredited laboratory for testing.

AQF's extensive expertise in automotive parts quality control and leading

edge quality management software can provide even greater value to your
organization. We assist you and your suppliers to set up and manage a
customized surveillance program and optimize the use of limited
resources. We help you control key quality risks, monitor and analyze
results, advise on corrective actions necessary to achieve your objectives,
and build a culture of continuous improvement across your entire supply
chain

Main Tests performed during an inspection of Automotive Parts

• Dimensional measurement and gap measurements
• (Caliper, gauge, Go-No-go, etc…)
• Drawing compliance

Main tests on automotive parts performed in a laboratory:

ASTM- American Society for Testing and Materials

• Endurance test
• Environmental test
• Hardness
• Rupture test
• Coating measurement
• Material composition analysis
• Chemical content analysis

What are the 4 types of quality inspection?

• Pre-Production Inspection (PPI)

• During Production Inspection (DPI)
• Pre-shipment inspection (PSI)
• Container loading/loading supervision (LS)
• Piece-by-piece Inspections.

What does a vehicle inspection consist of?

The safety inspection will ensure that essential components of the vehicle
are operating correctly. The safety inspection includes checks of the
• Horn
• Headlights
• Brake lights
• Fog lights or other accessory lights
• Directional signal lights
• Parking brake
• Steering system
• Windshield wipers
• Rearview mirror
• Tires

1.2.3 VEHICLE IS RESTORED FOLLOWING STANDARD OPERATING

PROCEDURES.
i. purpose
• This procedure outlines the care and maintenance of divisional
vehicles used to transport research animals, supplies, and division
personnel in order to insure safe operation, reduce mechanical failure
and maintain the integrity of the vehicle.

ii. responsibility
• Facility Managers ensure the maintenance and repair staff
maintain/service the division’s vehicles that are based at their facility
in good working order monthly.

iii. supplies
• Lubricants/fluids to maintain engine/vehicle (e.g., windshield washer,
engine coolant/antifreeze, oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid,
distilled/deionized water, etc.)
• Window/upholstery cleaner(s), paper towels, and cloths.
• Tire pressure gauge.

iv. procedures all vehicles

• Tire inflation should be visually inspected frequently. Tires that
appear low will be checked with a tire pressure gauge to ensure that
air pressure is maintained within the manufacturer’s suggested range.
• Check all fluid levels monthly and add fluids according to the
manufacturer’s recommendations/specifications.
• Windshield and windows are cleaned as needed.
• Interior of vehicles should be swept/vacuumed and cleaned as
needed. Cargo areas of the box truck and van should maintained
clean so that the vehicle is suitable for the next animal transport (i.e.,
remove unnecessary items and debris after hauling equipment).
 • Exterior surface is washed as needed.
• Scheduled maintenance is to be conducted by an approved vendor(s)
at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals.
• Records of vehicle maintenance should be entered in the vehicle log
book located in the vehicles glove box and should include:

a. Date maintenance/service performed.

b. Mileage/hours of operation at time of service.
c. Type of maintenance performed.
d. Name of vendor or person(s) performing maintenance.

• Any concerns of vehicle performance especially involving safety, signs

of damage or abnormal wear of parts and accessories, fluids leaking,
dents or scratches are to be reported to a supervisor immediately.
• Record the monthly service performed on Vehicle Maintenance Log
and initial next to the vehicle you serviced.

1.2.4 VEHICLE IS CHECKED FOLLOWING STANDARD OPERATING

PROCEDURES.

Pre-trip inspections. Each vehicle will be inspected at the start of each

shift by a driver trained in the procedure. A walk-around will be performed
with a vehicle pre-trip checklist and any irregularities reported to the
Mechanic before the vehicle leaves the lot. Please see Attachments for Pre-
Trip Inspection checklist.

Basic Service Routines. Per the recommendations of the chassis, bus

body, and wheelchair lift manufacturers, and the additional
recommendations of the SMS Mechanic, a thorough preventive maintenance
schedule will be established and followed for each vehicle. At or before the
recommended mileage intervals, the SMS mechanic will perform all the
elements of maintenance due at that mileage. Please see Attachments for
Preventive Maintenance Schedules and Standard Operating Procedures.

Vehicle Cleaning. Interior cleaning and sweeping of each in-service vehicle

will be performed at the end of each shift by Special Mobility Services'
driving staff. Vehicle exteriors will be washed on a weekly basis or more
frequently, as needed.

Vehicle Repairs. The need for a vehicle repair may be discovered during a
pre-trip inspection, preventive maintenance inspection, or breakdown. The
Mechanic will determine warranty coverage for the system requiring
attention, and if appropriate, pursue warranty repairs with the vendor, bus
or chassis manufacturer, or authorized warranty outlet. The SMS Mechanic
will determine whether the repair can be accomplished in-house, or because
of the need for special diagnostic expertise or equipment, will be assigned to
a subcontractor.
Documentation and Analysis. Vehicle condition will be regularly
documented through pre-trip inspections and problems discovered on the
road will be documented on a Vehicle Condition Report by the driver. In
addition, all vehicle maintenance and repair activity and costs will be
documented. Vehicle data will be organized for summary and analysis.

These procedures apply to the fleet maintenance program

• At the start of each driving shift, each driver performs a pre-trip

inspection to ensure safety and accessibility items are operational, and
that any defects are reported to the maintenance staff.

• Each driver records beginning and ending mileage for the route on that
day’s manifest.

• Each day, dispatch staff record vehicle miles driven for that day to the
operations database, and once a week record ending odometer reading for
each vehicle.

• Each week, maintenance staff print a fleet maintenance status report

from the operations database, and use projected service due dates from
the report to schedule services for each vehicle on or before the service
 due mileage. Work is scheduled in-house or out-sourced as needed to
meet the maintenance deadlines.

• Specific components of each vehicle are scheduled for inspection,

lubrication, cleaning or replacement at regular intervals. The intervals
are determined by published information from the vehicle and component
manufacturers. In addition, such inspections may include other items or
incorporate shorter intervals as recommended by maintenance staff or
management.

• At each service, maintenance staff record service date, odometer reading,

service items, parts used, parts cost, and labor hours to the service
checklist, then before end of shift, to the operations database.

• For out-sourced preventive maintenance, vendors are supplied with a

maintenance checklist. At each service, maintenance staff obtain copies
of the completed checklist and vendor invoice, then enter the service
detail to the operations database, identifying the vendor.

• At regular intervals, management staff audit the data collection process

and verify the completeness and timeliness of the database records.
Management also works with maintenance staff to revise maintenance
policy and checklists as needed, and to upgrade database capabilities.

• Monthly, management staff reviews preventive maintenance detail to

ensure timely performance of preventive maintenance services for the
prior month, and consult with maintenance staff to ensure adequate
resources are available for the workload.

MAINTENANCE REMEDIATION PLAN

• Management review of the most recent preventive maintenance

procedures for each vehicle in the fleet and identification of any vehicles
due for service.

• Consultation with the mechanic to ensure he has the time and resources
to ensure any maintenance procedures thus identified are completed in a
timely manner.

• Centralization of the vehicle records for operations

• Centralization of preventive maintenance scheduling

• Management review of the vehicle maintenance files and database

records for completeness and timeliness.
• Modifications in data and reports from the fleet management database
system to improve preventive maintenance scheduling.

• Management review of the preventive maintenance workload, with

adjustments made as necessary to ensure the program continues to be
adequately staffed and supplied.

1.2.5 MINOR CORRECTIVE MEASURES ARE APPLIED

FOLLOWING MANUFACTURER’S MANUAL.

Difference between corrective and preventive maintenance

The main difference between these two maintenance types is the equipment
or installation servicing time. In the corrective maintenance type, the
operation is done only when there is a failure or malfunction, and on the
other hand, in the preventive, as the name indicates, the equipment has
maintenance plans to avoid/prevent the most complicated breakdowns.

Corrective maintenance is reactive in nature. Every time a product or

system fails, repair or restoration must follow to restore its operability. The
following steps constitute corrective maintenance:

• Once the failure has been detected, it must be confirmed. If the failure
is not confirmed, the item generally is returned to service. This no-
fault-found problem leads to a considerable waste of time at
significant cost. It also entails carrying an unnecessarily large
inventory all the time.

• If the failure is confirmed, the item is prepared for maintenance and

the failure report is completed.

• Localization and isolation of a failed part in the assembly is the

natural next step in corrective maintenance.

• The failed part is removed for disposal or repair. If disposed of, a new
part is installed in its place.

• The item may be reassembled, realigned, and adjusted after repair. It

is checked before being put back to use.

Break-down maintenance is a failure-based maintenance mode that

determines whether a system is in a good condition or available and restores
the system to its original state after a partial or complete failure occurs in
the system.

Break-down maintenance is applied when

• There is no obvious functional failure to the operator;
 • There are unforeseen faults in the system, but there is no immediate
harm to the safety of the system or mission;

• The system is deteriorating. The cost of post fault maintenance is less

than the PM; however, time-based or condition-based maintenance
(CBM) can also be used

Types of Maintenance

Corrective Maintenance
Corrective maintenance is used to repair damage that has already occurred.
Usually, when this type of maintenance is performed, the manufacturing
process is stopped, decreasing production and increasing costs. Repair time
cannot be predicted, nor can the expenses resulting from the breakdown
and consequent disturbances on the production line. Therefore, corrective
maintenance is applied on assets with low criticality, whose faults do not
involve large temporal or economic problems. It is often used for specific
equipment where other techniques would be more costly.

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is planned in a time horizon and aims to prevent

breakdowns. Unlike corrective maintenance, because it is planned, it is not
done during production time.
The intention of this type of maintenance is to reduce the number of
corrective interventions, performing periodic reviews and replacing worn
components.
It is a demanding type of maintenance, as it requires strict supervision and
development of a plan to be carried out by qualified personnel. In addition,
as it involves routine tasks, personnel may not be motivated. Furthermore, if
it is not done correctly, there will be a cost overrun with no significant
improvements in productivity.

Condition-Based Maintenance

CBM aims to determine the condition of equipment, so that operation

remains safe, efficient, and economic. Monitoring techniques are aimed at
measuring physical variables that indicate the condition of the machine and
comparing these with normal values to determine if the machine is in good
condition or deteriorating. CBM assumes there are measurable and
observable characteristics that are indicators of the condition of the
machine.
Condition monitoring studies the evolution of selected time-dependent
parameters; it identifies trends indicating the existence of a fault, its
severity, and the likely time to failure (TTF). Timely decision-making avoids
the occurrence of faults and eliminates the possibility of catastrophic
failure. CBM can be performed while the machine is running
CBM consists of three key steps (see Fig. 6.2):

Figure 6.2. Three steps in condition-based maintenance.

• Data acquisition (information collecting), to obtain data relevant to
system health.
• Data processing (information handling), to handle and analyze the
data or signals collected in step 1 for better understanding and
interpretation of the data.
• Maintenance decision-making (decision-making), to recommend
efficient maintenance policies.

Types of Maintenance

Although the design life of most equipment requires periodic maintenance,

this life can be extended. Failing to perform maintenance activities (as
prescribed by the designer), shortens the operating life of the equipment.
Maintenance can be classified as reactive maintenance, preventive
maintenance, predictive maintenance and reliability-centred maintenance
(see Fig. 18.2).

Figure 18.2. Types of maintenance, indicating hierarchy.

Reactive Maintenance
Reactive maintenance or corrective maintenance is to fix items when needed
either through scheduled inspection or field observation. If these unplanned
fixes are prioritised then it takes time away from scheduled maintenance.
Minimal effort is spent to maintain the equipment as the designer originally
intended to ensure design life is reached. Studies indicate that this is still
the predominant mode of maintenance in the United States and other
countries.

Preventive Maintenance
This is a better method than reactive maintenance. Maintenance is regularly
schedule based on vendor recommendation or breakdown history.
The schedules are created for routine check and replacement of components
based on time-directed maintenance.
These time checks are usually determined based upon the life span of
previous components of a similar type.
Preventive maintenance can be inefficient and may be wasteful as some
parts that are far from their breaking point are replaced with new parts
these parts could still work without problems).

Predictive Maintenance
This approach detects problems that can be overlooked by preventive
maintenance. The onset of a degradation mechanism of equipment is
detected by condition-directed maintenance. This allows for casual stresses
to be eliminated or controlled prior to any significant deterioration in the
component physical state. Effective maintenance can catch issues quickly in
the potential failure (P-F) interval of the life cycle of a component so
appropriate action can be taken. Predictive maintenance consists of different
elements including vibration analysis, oil analysis, motor meggering and
thermo graphic analysis

Proactive (Reliability-Centred) Maintenance

Proactive/reliability-centred maintenance relies on effective decision making

considering benefits and limited resources. It acknowledges equipment has
different importance to either the process or plant safety. It takes into
account the probability of failures due to different degradation mechanisms.
The maintenance program is thus built on prioritising actions by also taking
into account the limited financial and personnel resources. This helps focus
on what is important, items that need to be proactively dealt with, and
enhance the MMS
RCM analysis will assess the failure modes for an asset and develop a
maintenance strategy to mitigate the consequences for each failure mode.
The value in performing RCM is the proactive assessment of these failure
modes and the resulting tasks developed to eliminate reoccurring failures.
An organisation or processing plant needs to have a target that equipment
failures are unacceptable. Failures can be categorised to track their
occurrences. Some examples of failure codes include:
• Material defect
 • Installation defect
• Design defect
• Fabrication errors
• Unintended service conditions
• Improper use
• Inadequate maintenance

Tracking the frequency or occurrence and impact of failures can help us

with an area of focus – whether it be certain equipment, a manufacturer or
process,

Technology-Enhanced Maintenance Management

The MMS can be enhanced by leveraging technology. Computerised
maintenance management systems (CMMSs) are widely adopted in various
industries. CMMSs have been getting traction since the late 1980s and it is
rare that a large company involved in equipment maintenance would not
have a specialised software solution to aid in its equipment maintenance
efforts.

Vibration Analysis
Vibration analysis monitors vibration frequencies and amplitudes of
mechanical units. Comparing the observed data with the benchmarked data,
potential bearing problems, alignment corrections, rotating equipment
dynamic imbalances, and so on can be detected early and scheduled
maintenance can be arranged. Vibration analysis is key for critical
equipment whose failure can cause a mine shutdown.

Oil Analysis and Contamination

Oil analysis is a central part of any maintenance program. The correct type
of lubricant, proper grade of lubricant, change of lubricant and filter at
recommended intervals are of utmost importance for better reliability and
performance of a machine.
Anything that doesn’t belong in the oil is called contamination, and may
include: dirt and other particles, air, wear debris, fuel and other lubricants,
coolant, and detergents and other chemicals.

If the lubrication oil is contaminated, it can cause harm to the equipment

and performance will deteriorate. The lubricant becomes abrasive when
debris makes its way into it, which may lead to bearings or other moving
parts failing.

Better lubrication practices can have an enormous impact on plant

operation and the bottom line. The best condition-based lubrication
techniques as part of a larger maintenance programme should be in place.
Plant efficiency and optimising work hours can be improved by filtering oil
and finding contaminants in bearings before they can cause failures
Motor Meggering
The condition of motor winding insulation can be continuously monitored
and determined by measuring mega ohms of resistance from the winding
insulation. This measure decreases as the winding insulation deteriorates.
With a benchmark threshold for replacement, these motors can be replaced,
which prevents major unscheduled plant downtime.

There are special measuring instruments that may be used to detect and
diagnose malfunctions. The insulation resistance tester, generally known by
its trade name, Megger, is capable of providing critical information regarding
the condition of motor insulation.

1.2.5 INSPECTION CHECKLIST IS ACCOMPLISHED BASED ON

MANUFACTURER’S STANDARDS.

What is the inspection checklist?

• An inspection checklist, when used properly, is an assurance that a
particular piece of equipment has been inspected. As each item on
the checklist is ticked off, the person doing the inspection is verifying
that each component of the equipment is in correct working order.

Daily pre-trip inspection: (operator)

Check exterior:
• Vehicle head, tail, and clearance lights
• Turn signal operation
• Hazard flasher operation
• Brake light operation
• Backup light operation
• Tire condition (check for inflation, tread depth, sidewall damage,
objects in tread)
• Wheel condition (check appearance of lug nuts, check for seal leaks)
• Undercarriage leaks
• Body, glass, mirrors (check for damage, mirrors well-secured)
• Wheelchair lift operation (unlock doors, cycle lift once before service)
• Exterior cleanliness

Check vehicle interior:

• Mirror position
• Horn operation.
• Windshield wiper operation
• Passenger door operation
• Interior lights
• Vehicle gauges
• Fuel level (fuel cards and fuel log present)
• Emergency exits (check that exits are not blocked and rear exit door is
unlocked)
• Radio/ mobile data operation (pre-trip radio check with dispatcher)
• Seat belts (present and available to passengers)
 • Wheelchair securements (all sets present and stowed correctly)
• Safety equipment (fire extinguisher present and fully-charged,
emergency triangles present, first aid kit present and sealed or fully-
stocked, bio-hazard kit present and sealed or fully-stocked, seat belt
cutter present)
• Seat condition (well-secured, check for upholstery damage)
• Seat belt condition (present, not damaged)
• Stanchions (well-secured)
• Interior cleanliness

As needed maintenance: (operator)

• Fuel as needed
• Wash vehicle exterior as needed (minimum weekly)
• Monitor performance of the climate control systems.
• Clean interior window glass, wipe seats, mop floor

Weekly maintenance: (operator)

Daily pre-trip inspection, plus:
• Check engine oil level
• Add oil as needed, log
• Check engine coolant level
• Check condition of belts and hoses
• Fill out weekly vehicle inspection form

DAILY MAINTENANCE: (MECHANIC)

• Review operator defect reports and repair, schedule for repair, or take
vehicle out of service as appropriate

Standard vehicle inspection

Service procedures:
• Lube lift pivot points
• Engine oil change, oil filter change
• Lube suspension, steering linkage, and driveline

Items to be inspected:
Vehicle history
• Review preventive maintenance history
• Review vehicle repair history
• Review any pending work orders

Pre-trip inspection
• Gauges
• Switches and controls
• Driver area condition
 • Passenger area condition

Drive test
• Starting
• Steering
• Acceleration
• Braking
• Transmission
• Check operation of heating and air conditioning

Under hood
• Listen for and investigate any unusual noises
• Check transmission fluid level and condition
• Check cooling system, coolant level and condition
• Check brake fluid level
• Check power steering fluid level and condition
• Check windshield washer fluid level and condition
• Check fuel lines and connections for leaks
• Inspect and adjust drive belts as needed
• Check coolant hoses for leaks and wear
• Check exposed wiring and vacuum hoses for wear
• Clean engine crankcase breather
• Clean and test after-cooler core as needed
• Clean radiator as needed

Under-carriage

• Check tire condition and inflation

• Check wheel condition and lug nut torque
• Check steering linkage for wear
• Check front suspension for looseness or wear
• Check rear suspension for looseness or wear
• Check wheel bearings and seals, front and rear, for play, leakage
• Check brake caliper and rotor condition
• Check brake pad condition
• Check parking brake unit condition
• Check differential for leaks
• Check driveline and U-joint condition
• Check transmission for leakage
• Check exhaust system for leaks or damage

*If any defects are found, document and as appropriate, schedule for repair.

Extended vehicle inspection

Service procedures:
 • Brake and wheel bearing service as needed.
• Lube lift pivot points
• Engine oil change, oil filter change
• Lube chassis and suspension
• Engine oil change, oil filter change
• Lube suspension, steering linkage, and driveline
• Replace fuel filters
• Obtain engine oil sample for testing
• Obtain coolant sample for testing

Standard inspection plus:

Items to be inspected:
Vehicle history
• Incorporate any currently due preventive maintenance items into the
current service

Under hood
• Check charging system output
• Check battery and battery cable condition

Under-carriage
• Inspect brakes and wheels

*If any defects are found, document and as appropriate, schedule for repair.

Quarterly maintenance: (mechanic)

Items to be inspected:
• Check engine fluids
• Check tires for inflation and wear
• Check for fluid leaks under the vehicle
• Start and warm the vehicle to operating temperature
• Run heaters and air conditioners
• Drive the vehicle through the lot, using both forward and reverse
• Check transmission fluid level

*If any defects are found, document and as appropriate, schedule for repair.

1.2.7 PPES ARE WORN BASED ON OSHS.

What is personal protective equipment?

Personal protective equipment,
commonly referred to as "PPE",
is equipment worn to minimize
exposure to hazards that cause
serious workplace injuries and
illnesses. These injuries and
illnesses may result from
contact with chemical,
radiological, physical, electrical,
mechanical, or other workplace
hazards. Personal protective
equipment may include items
such as gloves, safety glasses
and shoes, earplugs or muffs,
hard hats, respirators, or
coveralls, vests and full body suits.

The Hazard Assessment

A first critical step in developing a comprehensive safety and
Health program is to identify physical and health hazards in the
workplace.
This process is known as a “hazard assessment.”
Potential hazards may be physical or health-related and a comprehensive
hazard assessment should identify hazards in both
Categories.

Examples of physical hazards include;

• Moving objects
• Fluctuating temperatures
• High intensity lighting
• Rolling or pinching objects
• Electrical connections
• Sharp edges

Examples of health hazards include;

• Overexposure to harmful dusts
• Chemicals or radiation

The hazard assessment should begin with a walkthrough survey

of the facility to develop a list of potential hazards in the following

Basic hazard categories:

• Impact,
• Penetration,
• Compression (roll-over),
• Chemical,
• Heat/cold,
• Harmful dust,
 • Light (optical) radiation, and
• Biological

In addition to noting the basic layout of the facility and

reviewing any history of occupational illnesses or injuries, things

To look for during the walkthrough survey include:

• Sources of electricity.
• Sources of motion such as machines or processes where movement
may exist that could result in an impact between personnel and
equipment.
• Sources of high temperatures that could result in burns, eye injuries
or fire.
• Types of chemicals used in the workplace.
• Sources of harmful dusts.
• Sources of light radiation, such as welding, brazing, cutting, furnaces,
heat treating, high intensity lights, etc.
• The potential for falling or dropping objects.
Sharp objects that could poke, cut, stab or puncture.
• Biologic hazards such as blood or other potentially infected material.

Selecting PPE
All PPE clothing and equipment should be of safe design and
construction, and should be maintained in a clean and reliable fashion.
Employers should take the fit and comfort of PPE into consideration
when selecting appropriate items for their workplace. PPE that fits well
and is comfortable to wear will encourage employee use of PPE. Most
protective devices are available in multiple sizes and care should be
taken to select the proper size for each employee. If several different types
of PPE are worn together, make sure they are compatible. If PPE does not
fit properly, it can make the difference between being safely covered or
dangerously exposed. It may not provide the level of protection desired
and may discourage employee use.

Training Employees in the Proper Use of PPE

Employers are required to train each employee who must use PPE.

Employees must be trained to know at least the following:

• When PPE is necessary.
• What PPE is necessary.
• How to properly put on, take off, adjust and wear the PPE.
• The limitations of the PPE.
• Proper care, maintenance, useful
life and disposal of PPE.

Employers should make sure that

each employee demonstrates an
understanding of the PPE training as
well as the ability to properly wear and use PPE before they are allowed
to perform work requiring the use of the PPE. If an employer believes that
a previously trained employee is not demonstrating the proper
understanding and skill level in the use of PPE, that employee should
receive retraining. Other situations that require additional or retraining
of employees include the following circumstances: changes in the
workplace or in the type of required PPE that make prior training
obsolete.

Eye and Face Protection

Because auto plant workers are
around molten metal, liquid
chemicals, and flying particles from
welding, eye and face protection are
extremely vital. The first step in
avoiding this is for employers to
engineer administrative controls in
these environments, such as using
machine guards and shields
between workstations or around
specific machines. While these
barriers can help initially, it is still
important for all employees who
work around these materials to
have protective goggles or face
shields if they are working in direct contact with the material

Foot Protection
Foot protection comes in many forms, as workers have to protect
themselves against metatarsal breakage and plantar fascia strain.
Metatarsal breakage can occur when working in an auto plant because
workers are constantly expected to perform repetitive tasks, including
heavy lifting and operating dangerous machinery. All of these actions can
lead to heavy machinery and objects falling on one’s foot and shattering
the metatarsals and phalanges.

Hearing Protection
One of the most overlooked PPE items
across all industries is hearing
protection. Workers at an auto plant
may be exposed to extremely loud
noises on a daily basis, which can
likely
result
in
hearing
impairment. To best combat this, companies must start at the source.
Start by enclosing loud machinery within a sound-insulated barrier and
installing anti-vibration machine mountings when possible. If isolating
these machines is not an option, other means include: installing panels
with noise dampening material throughout the workspace, fitting
silencers to exhaust systems, or providing acoustic screens. Regularly
scheduled maintenance is also important to ensure equipment is running
smoothly and not making unnecessary noises.

Protective Apparel
Auto plant workers are exposed to a variety of harsh environments that
require all-over protective gear. Employers should provide the following
PPE apparel:

APRONS

COVERALLS

CHEMICAL

PROTECTIVE SUITS
 PANTS SLEEVES GLOVES

Note:
Beyond providing the correct type of apparel, it is also important to
specify that workers avoid wearing dangling jewelry or loose-fitting
clothing and not wear their hair long.
One key component of health and safety practices is the use of PPE,
as it is one of the only defenses against workplace hazards. The
first thing a company must complete to ensure the highest safety
standard is a hazard assessment. Once all hazards are determined,
the correct protective equipment can be decided on. However,
providing the proper PPE is only the first step.
If employees don't know when or how to use it, the items are useless.