Do-It-Yourself Fixes "Safety First"

Overview:

Safety is the most important factor with anything we do, but with do-it-yourself fixes it is more relevant. Since the weight of an automobile can literally crush a person, you will want to use care with DIY fixes. In addition, some people have lost limbs or eyes while working on automobiles. My intention is not to frighten you, but I want you to understand how important safety is for you to be successful with do-it-yourself fixes or any job with risks that can cause injury or death. Fortunately for me, I have not been injured with DIY fixes and I do not plan on it either. This is because I follow the “Golden Rule” with DIY fixes, safety first.

Workplace or area safety:

Whether you are in your driveway or garage, a clean workplace is a safe workplace. You will want to keep your overhead clear. This means nothing should be hanging from the ceiling that can fall and cause an injury. In addition, make sure your floor or pavement is clean and dry. Spills or slippery surfaces can cause falls leading to serious injury. Regardless of the do-it-yourself fix that you are doing, you will always want to keep your workplace clean.

Dress properly:

You must dress properly for do-it-yourself fixes. This cannot be understated because improper clothing creates added risk. I like to wear the Dickies which is traditional mechanic’s clothing. In addition, a good steel toe boot is a great idea because auto parts and tools can be painful if dropped on your toes. Anything hanging from your body such as jewelry or sweater strings should be taken off. Use caution because things hanging from your body can be pulled or snagged in a split-second. Something often overlooked as hanging is long hair. This is dangerous because your hair getting snagged can cause head injury or worse. If you have long hair, it will have to be tied up because it can be pulled or snagged as well.

I will list safety glasses as a part of dress because I like to think I am naked without them. I say naked because this is how I relate to safety glasses as a reminder to wear them. Please note that the importance of eye safety cannot be stressed enough. It can be something simple such as dirt or rust which can fall in your eye causing serious injury. In addition, safety glasses protect from being poked in the eye. Remember, you cannot replace an eye.

Safety tools:

Always use jack stands when working on a car because jacks can fail without warning. In addition, you will need to use wheel chucks to block off the wheels which will prevent the car from rolling while it is jacked up. My rule of thumb is to work on flat ground when the car must be jacked up.

First Aid:

A first aid kit is mandatory with do-it-yourself fixes because accidents are possible. Also, you will want to make sure you have an eye wash in the first aid kit because some kits do not include them. Keep a phone handy and in case of an emergency call 911.

Article:

This blog post by Jalopnik is interesting because it talks about common mistakes that do-it-yourself fixers make. Some of the mistakes I’ve come across with my fixes such as a stripped bolts or torque specifications are listed. The do-it-yourself fixes community will be about avoiding mistakes by sharing information.

Video:

Since you can never be too safe, I am including a safety video that will be helpful. This video link  published by Safety Videos goes in depth about workplace safety that can be used with any job. I like this video because it is like the safety videos shown in my brake class at Oakland Community College.

I will conclude with a reminder to always keep “Safety First”. All comments, feedback, sharing or questions are welcomed by Do-It-Yourself Fixes.