The last thing on many an avid amateur mechanic’s mind is safety. Yet have a vehicle roll on you, or roll down the driveway to collide with anything else and your day week, or month can well be ruined. Never mind the explanation to auto insurance or MPI autopac insurance agent, adjustor or having to make an unnecessary claim on your home or auto insurance.
First of all take the time to remove all jewelry such as rings, watches and bracelets before starting work. Do not wear loose fitting clothing, ties scarves or coats that might get dangled up in a pulley or drive belt. When working on cars & trucks its always a case of safety first and foremost. After all a major role of the Winnipeg fire department is in fire prevention.
What are some safety precautions that backyard and do-it-yourself mechanics and budding service technicians should employ as a matter of standard procedure and course?
It has to be said and driven home to never ever run an engine inside a closed garage. You would think that this would be the first rule of auto maintenance and repair. Yet many try to get away with -“I will just run the motor for a second” is sometimes the refrain and excuse. . Buildup of dangerous and deadly CO, (that is Carbon Monoxide gas), and gas fumes are odorless and color and can be lethal. If you must run the engine, simply open the garage door or alternately vent the fumes outside with a length of tubing or hose. After all its not as if you are running a major Winnipeg collision center for all makes & models.
Lastly when doing any kind of electrical work such as replacing a starter, ignition switch, alternator, voltage regulator, radio etc, it is always a wise and safe idea and practice to disconnect the battery ground cable entirely. This will eliminate the possibility and possibilities of accidentally grounding the electrical circuit which could well start a fire or alternatively damaging some component in the now very delicate electrical and electronic systems of modern cars. The component of modern hybrid vehicles even come now in shielding electrostatic bags alone just to shield the sensitive electronic components of these hybrid gas / electric vehicles from the ravages of simple static electricity.
Basic car , truck & S.U.V. maintenance is a fundamental part of a mechanic’s work. One misunderstood aspect of preventative maintenance is scheduled replacement of various parts, which occurs before failure to avoid far more expensive damage.
