Safety & information: Moving & road testing vehicles

Safety & information:

                Moving & road testing vehicles 
           Running engines
           Used engine oil 
           Vehicle valeting hazards
           Electrical safety            

Moving & road testing vehicles

Vehicles often need to be road tested, or simply moved from one place to another in the workshop or immediate environment. Accidents can occur at this time, especially if the driver involved is inexperienced or unqualified.
Only authorized, fully trained, and licensed drivers should be given responsibility to move vehicles. Only the most skilled and experienced drivers available should be allowed to test higher performance vehicles.

Have someone outside the vehicle supervise any vehicle movement inside the workshop, especially in restricted spaces, when reversing, and when nearing blind corners.
Make sure that customers and visiting drivers to your workshop are aware of your rules for moving cars. Keep the keys for all vehicles secure and away from the vehicles when not in use.

Running engines

Running engines indoors

Exhaust fumes are toxic
Sometimes it is necessary to run an internal combustion engine indoors, or in a confined space. If you do this without following the correct safety precautions, concentrations of fumes from exhaust gases can quickly build to toxic levels.
Exhaust extraction equipment
The best solution is to directly couple the vehicle's exhaust pipe to an exhaust extraction equipment hose so that the fumes will be ventilated away from the enclosed space and into the open air. These should be vented to where they will not be drawn back into the same workshop, to a place well away from other people and other premises.
Catalytic converters are not enough
Do not assume that an engine fitted with a catalytic converter can be run safely indoors, they can't. Catalytic converters are less effective when the exhaust gases are relatively cool - such as when the engine is only idling or being run intermittently.

Used engine oil

Used engine oil can damage your skin
Used engine oil is a hazardous substance containing many impurities that can damage your skin. Coming into frequent or prolonged personal contact with used engine oil can cause dermatitis and other skin disorders, including some forms of cancer.
Wear protective clothing
Avoid direct contact as far as possible, by always using protective clothing, which is cleaned or replaced regularly, and by following safe work practices, which minimize the possibility of accidental spills. Keeping a high standard of personal hygiene and cleanliness are important, so that you get into the habit of washing off harmful substances as soon as possible after contact.
Inspect your skin
If you have been in contact with used engine oil, you should regularly inspect your skin for signs of damage or deterioration. If you have any doubts, see your doctor.

Vehicle valeting hazards

Personal and environmental hazards
Cleaning products, especially solvents, can be toxic or flammable, especially when used in high concentrations. Make sure you understand and comply with your local regulations concerning the safe handling and disposal of substances that can be hazardous to health. Wherever possible, use the least hazardous materials available, and in the smallest quantities practical for any given task. Pour only small amounts of fluid onto a pad or cloth and keep the lids of any product containers closed when you are not actually pouring from them.

Keep the work area ventilated
Using toxic substances in enclosed areas is especially hazardous. Keep your inside work area well ventilated, and when working inside vehicles leave all the doors and the sunroof, if fitted, wide open. When ventilation is poor, it may be necessary to use flexible ducting to remove fumes and vapors from inside vehicles you are working on.

Dangers of flammable substances
Some solvents are highly volatile and can explode. Remove all sources of ignition from the work area. It is good practice to disconnect the battery.

Personal protection
Wear appropriate protective clothing including eyewear, and impervious gloves to protect hands and forearms. If you splash solvent onto items of clothing, remove them and hang them in a safe open place to dry out. If you are not sure how hazardous a particular chemical product is, refer to the relevant MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet).

Electrical safety

Many people are injured by electricity in workshops. Poor electrical safety practices can cause shocks and burns, as well as fires and explosions.
Electricity supply

• Make sure you know where the electrical switchgear for your workshop is located.
• All electrical switches and fuses should be clearly labeled so that you know which circuits and functions they control. In the case of an emergency, you may need to know how to shut off the electricity supply to a work area, or to your entire workshop .

• Keep the switch and distribution covers closed. It is important that you do not block or obstruct access to this installation, so keep equipment and tools well away so emergency access is not hindered.
• There should be a sufficient number of socket outlets in your work area for all your needs. Do not connect multiple appliances to a single socket with a simple double adaptor. If necessary, use a multi-outlet safety plug board that has a built-in overload cutout feature.

• Electric socket outlets should be at least one meter above floor level to reduce the risk of igniting spilt fuel or other flammable liquids.

• Always switch the socket off before connecting or disconnecting any electrically powered device.

Portable electrical equipment

• If you need to use an extension lead, make sure that it is made of flexible cable – not the stiffer type of domestic cabling – and that it is fitted with an earth wire. The cable should be neoprene-covered as this material resists oil damage.

• Portable electric tools and hand lamps, particularly those that operate at 240 volts, are often sources of serious shock and burn accidents. Be particularly careful when using these items. Always inspect the cable for damage and check the security of the attached plug before connecting the item to the supply and switching it on.

• Choose to use 110-volt or lower voltage tools if they are available. If you have to use 240-volt tools, only use ‘double-insulated’ or ‘all-insulated’ tools.
• Never use any high voltage tool in a wet environment.
• Air operated tools cannot give you an electric shock, so these are safer to use in the wet.
• Electric hand lamps are a common source of shocks, especially if they are the wrong type for the purpose, or if they are poorly constructed or maintained.
• All hand lamps should be ‘double-insulated’ or ‘all-insulated’, and the bulb should be completely enclosed in a transparent insulating case, or protected within a robust insulating cage. The bulbs are very vulnerable to impact and must not be used without this protection.
• Incandescent bulbs present an extreme fire hazard if broken in the presence of flammable vapors or liquids and should not be used in repair shops. Fluorescent bulbs, while still hazardous, are much safer.

• If available, choose to use hand lamps that operate at lower voltages, such as 110 volts or less. Only totally enclosed hose-proof hand lamps operating at 24 volts or less should be used in a wet environment. Under no circumstances should mains power be used in a lead light application.
• Even very low voltage hand lamps can still ignite petrol or flammable vapor and must not be used in areas where these may be present, such as an inspection pit or a paint-spraying area.
• Always inspect the power cable for damage and check the security of the attached plug before connecting a hand lamp to the power supply and switching it on.
• Always switch off and unplug a hand lamp before changing the bulb.