If you work in the Motor Vehicle Repair (MVR) industry, your safety and that of those working around you must be taken very seriously. According to official statistics, there have been around 7000 injuries and 33 deaths in the last five years, and this illustrates why health and safety is so important.
Motor vehicle repair, maintenance, MOT testing and roadside recoveries are just some of the activities covered by the MVR industry. Work can be done either in the company’s garages, customer’s residence or even in domestic and commercial premises which make the safety issue much harder to control. Also most of the injuries happen during repairs, maintenance and installation jobs.
Injury and Ill Health
The main causes of injury in the MVR industry include manual handling of heavy objects, slips and trips on uneven or wet floors, being struck by falling objects or moving vehicles, and falling from height. Ill health is usually underreported, although the main causes are believed to be back injuries, occupation-related asthma caused by the use of isocyanate paints when finishing vehicles, dermatitis from contact with chemicals and vibration white finger, caused by the use of hand held power tools.
Protecting Yourself
To protect yourself and reduce the risk of injury or ill health, it’s essential that you follow safety procedures as directed by your manager. Those working with automobiles should remove all jewellery and loose clothing and wear the correct gloves and goggles as required. The shop you work in should be adequately ventilated to prevent employees from breathing in harmful fumes. Those who work in bodyshops and are exposed to paint spraying are 90 times more likely to develop asthma than the average worker. You should never smoke when making an automobile repair, as fires and explosions are not uncommon. Tyre explosions and disintegration of multipiece wheels are extremely dangerous, and your manager should provide information on what to do if this occurs. Make sure that there are enough fire extinguishers on hand at all times.
When removing and repairing components and releasing seized parts; welding and flame cutting equipment is often used. To prevent accidents, heat should never be applied to containers that may contain flammable residues. In cold work methods, try to avoid using heat. For hot work, remove flammable trims and upholstery before getting started and remember to empty fuel lines and tanks.
Protecting Your Vehicles
For those operating in the MVR industry, it’s important to take out the correct insurance to protect the vehicles you are working on. In repair work, it’s necessary for customers leaving their cars in your bodyshop to be protected against damage to or theft of their vehicle. Make sure you shop around to get the best deal, and look for a firm that specialises in motor traders insurance, like One Sure. Motor Traders Insurance can offer MVR businesses the protection they need in their type of industry. Some of the benefits cover the vehicle stock from theft, explosion, lightning and earthquake. You can also take advantage of liability benefits and extensions for damages caused by faulty workmanship. Motor Traders Insurance is certainly something the MVR industry needs to keep their employees safe and their businesses running.
***Photo thanks to MarkHillary and Creative Commons.***
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