Auto repair and maintenance shops employees can face a number of safety exposures that they will need to contend with on a daily basis. It’s important to understand the challenges presented by these exposures, as they can cause damages to the business as well as serious physical harm.
Here are some safety measures and protocols to take into consideration:
Incident Reporting:
- Any work-related injury or suspected injury must be reported to your supervisor, job site foreman and to human resources. A report of injury form must be completed.
- Human resources will issue a return-to-work evaluation form for the injured employee to take to the treating medical practitioner.
- After each practitioner appointment, the employee must report to their supervisor and human resources so that their progress can be reviewed.
- Provide light-duty work for employees recovering from injury.
- An accident investigation will be conducted to determine the root cause of the accident. The injured employee will be asked to participate in the investigation.
Medical Emergencies:
- Upon discovering a medical emergency, call 911.
- Notify the person’s supervisor and report the nature of the medical emergency and location.
- Stay with the person involved, being careful not to come in contact with any bodily fluids.
- Send two persons (greeters) to the entrance to await the fire department. One person should call and hold an elevator car. Often two fire department units will arrive, so the second greeter should wait at the entrance to receive the second unit while the first greeter escorts the fire department personnel to the scene.
- Employees in the immediate vicinity of the emergency, but not directly involved, should leave the area.
- Human resources will make any necessary notifications to family members of the person suffering the medical emergency.
Handling Chemicals:
- Read all label warnings and instructions.
- Follow instructions for quantity. More does not mean better.
- Minimize contact with chemicals. Use double-layer cloths or gloves to protect your skin, and keep your face clear of the area to reduce inhalation.
- Always wash your hands after handling chemicals.
- If a chemical enters your eye(s), immediately hold open the injured eye(s) and rinse it/them with clean, cool water for 15 minutes. Then be sure to report the injury immediately.
- Any questions or concerns regarding chemicals should be reported to your job site manager and human resources
Find Out More:
In addition to these risks, auto repair and maintenance shop employees can face other unique risks. This list is not exhaustive, and assessing your company's exposures and taking the appropriate precautions can go a long way toward protecting your business.
Download our “Auto Body Shop Employee Safety Manual” guide for an in-depth list of more ways to minimize gaps in your risk management and protect your employees:
