Auto Body Work Repairing auto body damage requires sanding, grinding, and sometimes welding to repair the vehicle before it can be refinished. Get training in collision repair. Know the techniques and tools to complete bodywork. Review the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for the chemicals you use to identify the personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear and how to mix and use materials properly. Eye injuries are common in auto body shops. Always wear eye protection when you are grinding, sanding, welding, and painting. Safety eyeglasses, goggles, and/or shields can protect your eyes from flying particles, sparks, and splashes. Grinding and sanding the paint off...

Excavations Excavations are any man-made cut, cavity, hole, trench, or depression made in the earth’s surface by the removal of soil. Workers in excavations can be exposed to cave-ins, engulfment, hazardous atmospheres, and falls. Excavation safety training and procedures prevent serious injuries and accidents. Before work on an excavation can begin, surface hazards such as unstable buildings, sidewalks, etc. that could endanger employees must be secured or removed. Hazards below the ground must also be identified and made safe before work can begin. Call 811 at least 2 days before the excavation. They will contact utilities so that representatives can determine if...

Ergonomics -  Breaks, Rest Periods, and Stretches Ergonomic injury risk factors include forceful movements, repetitive motions, awkward postures, and lack of rest.  Rest periods give the body time to recover from work; breaktime exercises and stretches strengthen the body.  Workers should think of themselves as Industrial Athletes; athletes wouldn’t participate in a sport without proper rest and warm-up, so use the same preparation on the job. Maintaining overall health reduces your risk of injury.  Get a good night’s sleep to rest your body and maintain alertness.  Eat healthy foods and drink fluids to boost energy and stay hydrated.  Aerobic exercise and weight...

Safety Rules for Power Tools Portable electric power tools are just what their name implies, power tools. Because they're powerful workers need to be aware of their limitations and potential hazards. Use and maintain tools with care. Keep them sharp and clean for their best and safest performance. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for lubricating and changing tool accessories. Use the right tool for the job. Don't force a small tool or attachment to do the job of a heavy-duty tool. It overstrains the tool and overloads the motor. Keep guards in place and follow lockout/tagout procedures. Unless it's designed for it, never...

Working Safely with Chemicals Chemicals come in various forms and can affect those exposed in different ways. A chemical can take the form of a mist, vapor, liquid, dust, fume or gas. The type of chemical, the way it is used, and the form that it takes determine its effect and what should be done to avoid harmful exposure. Some basic safety precautions should be understood and followed including: Know what to do in an emergency. If there is a leak or spill, keep away from the area, unless you know what the chemical is and how to safely clean it up....

Hearing Protection Hear Today Gone Tomorrow Most workers take good hearing for granted. Hearing loss can happen so gradually that it can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Then, even a hearing aid may not help. Some assume hearing loss is the unavoidable result of getting older, yet most hearing loss is due to noise over a lifetime. While loss of hearing may result from a single exposure to a noise or explosion, such traumatic losses are rare. Most cases of hearing loss begin gradually in frequencies slightly above that of human speech and then subtly spread to lower and higher frequencies. Hearing...

Chainsaw Safety Any tool powerful enough to slice through wood can do the same to human flesh, so chainsaw safety is a must since injuries are often serious.  Before you operate a chainsaw, make sure you read and understand the operator’s manual and make sure you have the right chainsaw for the job. The instruction manual should describe the saw’s capabilities.  If you rent a saw, be sure to get a demonstration of how it works, including its safety features.  Then make sure your saw is sharp, properly tensioned, and in good condition. When you’re going to use a chain saw, wear...

Crane Safety - Avoid the Crush Not understanding crane safety means it can be done incorrectly an then can cause crushing accidents occur when the body or any part of the body is squeezed between two moving objects or caught between one moving and one stationary object. Minor crushing accidents can cost workers in many ways, in pain, disability, and the loss of a job. Major crushing accidents can even cost a life. There are some simple things workers can do to lessen their chance of experiencing crushing injuries. The first, and most important thing, is for workers to know when they are...

Importance of Safety Training Routine work can dull alertness and a relaxed attitude can replace the caution that existed when the job was new and interesting. In many jobs the same route is traveled daily over the same roads or the same tasks are repeated with little conscious thought. Without some periodic reawakening to the ever-present hazards, lethargy deepens and the odds of an accident occurring can increase. Workers may not always recognize the importance of safety training or think of it as unnecessary because they’ve "been doing it for years." But an important benefit of periodic safety training is the reminder...

Safe Storage and Disposal of Oil- or Solvent-Soaked Rags Oil and solvent-soaked rags must be stored and disposed of properly to prevent combustion fires. It is important to maintain proper fire extinguishing equipment and smoke detectors in all areas where flammable and combustible materials are being used and stored. Oil-soaked rags are a spontaneous combustion hazard because as the oil oxidizes, heat is released. If the heat is not dissipated, it can build up and ignite the rags. Special oily-waste cans should be used to store oil-soaked rags. These containers allow air to flow around the rags, thus dissipating the heat. The...