Automotive chemicals and mechanical dangers

[aa1986]

I notice when watching automotive videos and pictures a lack of protective equipment being used.

From lack of gloves when handling old oil, brake fluid etc, to not wearing safety goggles when removing bolts with impact guns.

Is this the norm? Do you think there are many accidents because of this? How about incidents of cancer?

 

[simple_gifts]

Eric the Car Buy got chewed out by the comments section for wearing sandals during a brake change. I have to admit, i noticed the same thing.

 

[gathermewool]

I give everyone at the local hobby shop a hard time for not wearing proper PPE. If they want to coat their hands in carcinogens, then that's their choice, but when they fail to take simple precautions (like NOT wearing tennis shoes to the hobby shop,) I say something.

I wear glove, steel toed shoes, and safety glasses every time I'm there, though I do admit that I forget my glasses while doing simple oil changes pretty frequently.

I never used to care, but I changed my tune when a specialist joined our ship one fine day and explained to use how dangerous the simple things could be.

 

[Merkava_4]

That's just something YouTube makes the guys do. Nobody actually does all that.

 

[JHZR2]

It's a case by case basis. Stupidity or discomfort is not an argument for not using OPE, but sometimes there are reasons. PPE used need to be commensurate with the risk.

 

[Doog]

I always use nitrile gloves and my regular glasses are safety impact. On brakes I wash down each wheel with brakleen before working on it.

 

[Nick1994]

I don't like wearing gloves, and only use safety glasses when using a grinder.

I'll admit, I occasionally used to not use jack stands or use a welders mask when welding

But I've been doing much better and have been using jack stands and a welders mask. Still don't like gloves.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I'll admit, I occasionally used to not use jack stands or use a welders mask when welding

Geez man..........you have more of a death wish than I do.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I don't like wearing gloves, and only use safety glasses when using a grinder.

I'll admit, I occasionally used to not use jack stands or use a welders mask when welding

But I've been doing much better and have been using jack stands and a welders mask. Still don't like gloves.


I did that once and my 1st engineer gave me such a tongue lashing. We didn't have an auto-dimming mask and the job was in a precarious position, so I positioned the rod, turned my head and struck a quick arc to tack the rod. I did a few more, thinking nothing of it. He noticed, because it was very uncommon for us mushroom cavers to have such an unusual bit of sunburn, working in the engine room all day long haha.

Welding without full leathers and a mask is dumb.

Handling chemicals without gloves is dumb.

Grinding WITH gloves is dumb (I once had an engineer demand that I wear gloves while grinding. I refused, he asked around, and others set him straight.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I'll admit, I occasionally used to not use jack stands or use a welders mask when welding

Geez man..........you have more of a death wish than I do.

What's got me using the jack stands more often is noticing my 3 ton was lowering itself verrrry slowly.

 

[tom slick]

Reminder of importance of safety glasses during mundane tasks;



Nothing wrong with wearing a ring while working;

 

[Darwin1138]

I found that Best Gore is the best tool to convey the message of workplace safety to those in the camp of "I'm fine, I've doing this many years and nothing has happened to me"

 

[bvance554]

Reminds me of when I was in the Coast Guard and one day I walked into the boathouse to find one of our brightest new recruits trying to scrub the green epoxy primer off his hands with a green Scotch pad and Toluene. In big bold letters on the gallon can it said FATAL BY ABSORPTION. I said yo man what are you doing? Can you read that? I'm sure you won't die but do you really need to speed the process by taking off a couple layers of skin and scrubbing it in? He said 'i have a date.' Ok then.

 

[saberz]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
That's just something YouTube makes the guys do. Nobody actually does all that.


Got a good chuckle from that!

All it takes is 1 mishap for someone to quickly change their habits. I am normally very good about PPE during oil changes, gas filter changes ect. But it was just 1 time, 1! that I took the goggles off during a gas filter change since they were fogging up on me. And that 1 time is when I had gas spill from the line directly onto my face, eyes burnt like crazy, scrambled to get out from under my Xterra and hit my head on the frame.

Never again!

 

[Merkava_4]

^ I was mainly referring to the gloves and the carburetor cleaner. I always have my safety glasses on most the time. I heard somewhere that some chemicals can soak through your skin and destroy your kidneys though.

 

[FowVay]

I work at an ISO certified facility that also is a VPP 'star' certified work place. These programs have opened my eyes immensely to the hazards and cronic health issues that we are exposed to on a daily basis.

Because of this I always wear eye protection, hearing protection, skin protection and steel toes when working on machinery or around the yard doing outside house work.

I remember the days of mechanics using MEK to wash their hands, smoking while in the metal etching areas, wearing jewelry around moving machinery, etc. I'm fortunate to have never experienced a mishap but now I'm just more aware of what I'm doing. Fortunately my company provides to me, free of charge, all of the safety gear that I want (cut-proof gloves, eye glasses, ear plugs, respirator masks, steel toe shoes, etc).

 

[Kira]

Hello, I suppose people will do whatever they want when they're alone.

On the job however, if employees get sent home for violating a safety policy, they'll learn very fast.

1830 and 1930 (just to pick two) were then. This is now.

If and when BOZOS get hurt because of safety ignorance it's paid for by various insurance pools, if any are involved. Kira

 

[GreeCguy]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool

Grinding WITH gloves is dumb (I once had an engineer demand that I wear gloves while grinding. I refused, he asked around, and others set him straight.



Why? I always wear at least one glove when grinding, otherwise the sparks burn my hand.

 

[GreeCguy]

I used to never wear glasses while working on a vehicle. Then I met a man with one eye. He told me he lost his eye while doing a brake job and one of the springs came loose and shot into his eye. From then on, it's glasses for me.

 

[Dave Sherman]

I'll admit to being complacent in the past, but it changed when I was under the Midget bleeding the clutch, and despite having glasses, managed to drip brake fluid in my eye. Got kind of spooked as I'm flushing one eye while reading the container where it says "in case of eye contact, flush with water and seek medical attention". Oh boy. The poison control center said that no, flushing with water for 5 minutes was sufficient, but if the irritation gets worse, then get to the ER.

Safety goggles are a good thing!