The automotive workplace is unlike any other. Following health and safety regulations not only keeps your staff safe but helps to protect the integrity of your trade too.
On the production line, the risks multiply if your team operates against guidelines. And in any auto repair shop, safety should permeate every process and set the precedent for every job. Working with vehicles in any way presents various hazards: from exhaust fumes to excessive weight.
Whether you’re managing a workshop or supervising in a factory, it’s always worth knowing how to safeguard health and safety.
Five steps to health and safety in the automotive industry
Know your risks
Identifying the risks in your work environment is the first step towards keeping your staff safe.
In a factory, this could look like sharp fragments of metal, particulate matter in the air, or working under vehicles. Human error also poses a risk, so it’s important to consider elements like traffic management and handling dangerous substances.
Conducting a thorough risk assessment will help you to pinpoint the hazards in your work environment and put the correct measures in place. If you’re serious about investing in safety, it could make sense to seek the support of an expert through this process.
Choose appropriate PPE
It’s not just a legal requirement but personal protective equipment safeguards your employees from injuries and consequential health effects from their working environment.
You should ensure that your team members wear PPE that’s not only suitable for their role but complicit with all relevant industry standards too. Eye guards, steel toe-capped boots and overalls are commonplace in any automotive workplace, but it’s important to understand that no two will be the same.
Always check the specifics and ensure that the kit you supply is the right size for its wearer, too.
Use all safety features
When it comes to working with expensive machinery, there’s no room for mistakes. Neglecting to use safety equipment and features could risk your employees’ lives, especially if they’re working on a project alone.
Everyday components need to be durable too. For example, choosing the strongest eye bolts helps you to recover and move vehicles with full peace of mind. Try to make sure that your workbench is also backed up with emergency equipment close by, such as extension leads, wireless lighting, and fire extinguishers.
Check and test your tools
It’s essential that you only use high quality tools. Ideally, all the equipment in your workshop or factory floor should be modern and come complete with user manuals.
Ensuring that your team know how to use their equipment efficiently and safely is one step towards protecting their safety, especially when it comes to repairing heavy vehicles. From your impact wrench to the screwdriver, you need to rely on your kit.
Listen to your team
Lastly, knowing how to respond to feedback and employee concerns will help you to demonstrate your health and safety commitments as an employer. Conducting surveys or making the effort to walk around and ask individuals about their work gives you the chance to understand nuanced hazards that might not be immediately obvious to passersby.
Showing your proactive support is also a fantastic way to foster an open and transparent culture within your workplace, which should help the entire team to be productive.
