3 Common Dangers Mechanics Face After Automotive School and How to Avoid Them
Teeming with equipment, cluttered spaces, and heavy objects, the typical automotive repair shop is no place for messing around. For the trained professionals qualified to conduct repairs, handle equipment and perform maintenance tasks within the garage, safety is always a top concern.
There are many potential dangers associated with the roles of automotive service technicians, from chemical hazards to injury from equipment. However, equipped with an awareness of the most common safety hazards and a knowledge of how to responsibly avoid them, automotive professionals can ensure a long, healthy, and happy career.
If you’re considering a career as an automotive mechanic, your knowledge of the dangers involved in repair and maintenance work will be crucial to your success. At ATC Cambridge, your hands-on training will prepare you to safely navigate any automotive shop. Below, get a head’s start by discovering three of the most common hazards mechanics face, and how to avoid them.
Exposure to Toxins and Chemicals
Automotive chemicals, exhaust, solvents, vehicle fluids, and paints all contain various chemicals and toxins. Handling these materials on a daily basis, as well as prolonged exposure to dust from machinery, can lead to health complications if the proper precautions aren’t taken. Respiratory issues, as well as burns to the eyes or skin, are often a result of contact with chemicals or particles in the air.
In order to avoid these adverse effects, it’s important to properly label any hazardous materials, such as polishes, fillers, and primers. At the same time, ensure that all containers are sealed well. When working with hazardous materials, it’s also important to wear the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Professionals in auto careers should always wear a respiratory mask when sanding, buffing, and using a grinder or cutter. Additionally, gloves, goggles, and long sleeves should be worn when working with chemicals, preventing burns or punctures to the skin or eyes.
Avoiding Trips and Falls in Auto Careers
For professionals working on the repair shop floor, there are a number of different hazards that can lead to a misstep or fall. Liquids like grease, vehicle fluids, and oil can often spill onto the floor. What’s more, tools, pieces of equipment, and automotive parts may be lying around, causing an unsuspecting worker to trip.
As an automotive school graduate, there are a few steps you can take to prevent injury from accidental slips and trips. For one, keeping an organized shop and cleaning up one’s workspace is essential to preventing unnecessary yet dangerous incidents like these. Ensuring that tools and equipment are properly stored can prevent clutter-related stumbles. Lastly, warning signs and cones should be used in areas where the floor may be slippery.
Bodily Sprains and Strains
Muscle strains, as well as injuries from repetitive motion, are both common for automotive mechanics on the job. Because much of a mechanic’s job involves lifting heavy objects and bending over a car, these pros are particularly at risk of back injuries. In order to prevent muscle spasms or strains, it’s important to stretch before and after each day on the job. Additionally, it’s important to know the right lifting techniques for handling heavier parts and machinery.
Repetitive motion injuries from consistent lifting, using the same tools, or other repetitive tasks can also be a problem for mechanics. In order to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome or muscle strain, taking frequent breaks and maintaining good posture when doing repetitive work is essential.
Ready to launch your career by attending mechanic school?
Contact ATC Cambridge for more information today!