Seguridad Ocupacional

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AUTOMOTIVE WORKSHOP
SAFETY
April 2004

A GUIDE TO AUTOMOTIVE
WORKSHOP SAFETY
Fix the Risks

108261 VWA.out

1/9/06

11:17 AM

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C ONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Status of this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Too many people are injured while working in
automotive workshops or carrying out off-siteservice calls.

How to use this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
The extent of the Problem – an overview
of automotive workshop injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
WorkSafe’s Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Working Around Vehicles
– the workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Working Around Vehicles
– other workplaces . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Roadside Maintenance Activities . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Lifting Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Storage and Racking of Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Awkward Postures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Handling Heavy Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Handling Asbestos
– motor vehicleproducts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Fitting Tyres and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Automotive Workshop Inspection Checklist . . .37
Further Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Manual handling injuries are the most common
type of injury occurring in automotive workshops.
The injuries occur from handling heavy or awkward
objects, heavy lifting,and prolonged or sustained
work in awkward postures. This injury trend occurs
across all types of vehicle repair, maintenance or
installation work, and on all types of vehicles.
Given the nature of the work there is always the risk
of severe injury or fatality. Some risks are obvious,
such as vehicles falling from hoists or jacks, being
hit by a passing vehicle while carrying out roadsidework, or tyres exploding during inflation. Other risks
are less obvious such as the long-term effects of
breathing asbestos fibres or fumes from solvents
and automotive paints. While there may be risks
associated with this type of work, these risks can
be avoided.
Employers have a duty to minimise the risk of injury
at their workplace. This duty is set out in detail in
the OccupationalHealth and Safety Act 1985. Under
this Act an employer can be held responsible for the
safety of the workshop (workplace), its equipment
and its contents, the safety of the systems of work
used by employees and the proper training and
supervision of employees to keep them safe at
work. Regulations made under the Act provide
additional instruction on how particular hazards,
such as asbestos,hazardous substances, manual
handling and plant, are to be managed.
Employees also have a duty to take reasonable care
for their own health and safety at work and to avoid
endangering the health and safety of any other person
by anything they do, or fail to do, at the workplace.
Guidance material is available from WorkSafe that
may help employers fulfil their obligations. Other
sources ofinformation include your industry
association, suppliers’ and manufacturers’ advice,
Australian Standards, training courses, advice from
consultants, experienced practitioners, unions,
insurers, rehabilitation providers, legal practitioners,
researchers, inventors, auditors and others.
Together these contribute to the ‘state of knowledge’
about hazards in automotive workshops and how toeliminate or control them.

The information contained in this publication is not subject to copyright.
The Victorian WorkCover Authority encourages the free transfer, copying
and printing of the information in this publication if such activities support
the purposes and intent for which the publication was developed.

After consulting widely with industry, inspecting
many workshops and...