safety precautions when doing maintenance?

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Hi, I was wondering how many people here use safety precautions when changing oil and other stuff on their cars? My mom is worried about me changing oil because she thinks that I might be clumsy enough to get oil in my eyes so I was thinking of using safety goggles. Your thought? Any other safety precautions? Thanks
 
Safety goggles are always a wise idea. Myself, I wear glasses so they usually catch whatever is coming toward my eyes anyway. I've been changing my oil since I started driving 10 years ago, and I've never once gotten oil in my eyes. Worst I've had happen to me was that I was taking off an oil filter and I got some of the oil in my hair.
 
Depending on the configuration of the vehicle/oil filter location, it "may" be an issue, but I highly doubt it. I'd be more worried about knocking sand off the underside of the vehicle and getting sand in your eyes. Ask me how I know about that (had to go to the hospital with a scraped eyeball. I wear safety glasses for other automotive wrenching, but not oil changing.
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Likely the biggie is crawling under a poorly supported car. Safest is to wiggle under it. Next safest is likely a jack and jack stands. Like many others here, I use ramps, much more convenient than jack stands and almost as safe. I keep thinking about a pit in my garage floor. I do nothing without my steel toed shoes.

If you don't wear glasses, goggles are a good idea as mentioned. From there it is busted knuckles and blisters from hot exhaust manifolds. Trust me, they both heal.
 
Don't put your hands in the engine compartment when the engine is running. You could slip and fall in or you could just forget what you are doing and touch the wrong thing. Another one is not to let anybody touch the car when you are under it. It's best to have the keys in your pocket at that time so that they can't tangle you up or squash you.

I always have to say to my dad, "Don't do anything unexpected or unrequested and don't walk too far away." For some reason he's always getting in the way or endangering me when I'm just asking him to spot for me or be my 3rd hand. His good intentions drive me bananas.
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One last thing that probably won't apply to you since you're just getting started in wrenching but who knows. Do not open a part if you don't know what is inside of it. There could be springs or gases in the part that could blind or kill you. Transmissions, struts, and other parts come to mind. I hear airbags can kill too so don't set them off.

Steve
 
quote:

Originally posted by labman:
Likely the biggie is crawling under a poorly supported car. Safest is to wiggle under it. Next safest is likely a jack and jack stands. Like many others here, I use ramps, much more convenient than jack stands and almost as safe. I keep thinking about a pit in my garage floor. I do nothing without my steel toed shoes.

If you don't wear glasses, goggles are a good idea as mentioned. From there it is busted knuckles and blisters from hot exhaust manifolds. Trust me, they both heal.


I looked in a pit and found it is against the building code to have a pit, something about the pit collecting fumes and posing a danger. I had it all figured out too!
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quote:

Originally posted by Ugly3:

quote:

Originally posted by labman:
Likely the biggie is crawling under a poorly supported car. Safest is to wiggle under it. Next safest is likely a jack and jack stands. Like many others here, I use ramps, much more convenient than jack stands and almost as safe. I keep thinking about a pit in my garage floor. I do nothing without my steel toed shoes.

If you don't wear glasses, goggles are a good idea as mentioned. From there it is busted knuckles and blisters from hot exhaust manifolds. Trust me, they both heal.


I looked in a pit and found it is against the building code to have a pit, something about the pit collecting fumes and posing a danger. I had it all figured out too!
dunno.gif


There must be a reason "old school" mechanics called them "barbque pits".....
 
quote:

Originally posted by Ugly3:
I looked in a pit and found it is against the building code to have a pit, something about the pit collecting fumes and posing a danger. I had it all figured out too!
dunno.gif


So iffy lube can do it but we can't. All it needs is a vent fan.

Well you always could straddle a ditch. At least gives you more wiggle room and no jacks to potentially have the car fall off of. But the skeeters will get ya real bad.
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