Handling shop emergencies means knowing what to do before and after an accident occurs
Body shops have hazards at every turn: lifts, hydraulic pulling machines, ripped and damaged steel, broken glass, grease and oil spills, high voltage welders, acid and alkaline car batteries, cleaning compounds, acid etch primers, chemicals that can damage blood, liver, lung, and nerves, and irritants that expose workers to allergic reactions, and worse yet, cancer.
All of these problems can be avoided with the proper planning and people.
The right person for the job
A proper shop safety plan should designate specific individuals to take on specific responsibilities, such as regularly checking the business's safety and emergency equipment, to be assured that items are operative and available. Fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, spill kits, first aid kits and fire blankets should be stocked and functioning. The person(s) designated also should check that the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are up-to-date and available. A scheduled checking routine should make sure that all signs and labels are in place and operating, that all equipment and material labels are in place, and that emergency equipment access has not been blocked.Have written policies requiring personal protective devices like safety glasses, gloves, respirators and protective clothing, and require proper labeling and storage of hazardous materials. Make a specific person responsible for making sure that these measures are observed.
The emergency plan should designate a primary person and an alternate as the "first responder," the person responsible for first aid/personal injury care, evacuation, fire response, electrical accidents and chemical spills. When assigning these responsibilities, make sure one person is not responsible for multiple tasks that may occur together. The person who administers first aid, for example, could not also direct an evacuation.Preventive measures
Some preventive measures are common sense but are often overlooked. Reduce clutter and have techs use mobile carts to store tools when not in use. Tools on the floor are very dangerous. Parts carts help organize work areas and make your technicians safer and more efficient.Remove empty boxes and have waste canisters available for non-hazardous materials, and provide a covered waste container for contaminated waste for each technician. Workplace labels should be placed on all unmarked containers. No food or drink should be in areas where it can become contaminated, and smoking should be restricted to non-hazardous areas. Exit and fire extinguisher signs should be working and in place. Employ safety guards and bonding straps. Lighting should be sufficient and regularly maintained.
Develop a written policy for safety glasses, welding masks, respirators, dust/particle masks and air supply respirators to assure they're used and in working order. Technicians should be fit-tested regularly. According to I-CAR, U.S. and Canadian workplace safety and health rules require that workers who must wear a respirator receive a medical evaluation to determine their ability to use a respirator.Gloves protect workers from acute injury such as burns and cuts when welding and working with sheet metal. Others with gel pack inserts can protect hands from slow-progressing long-term injury due to vibration and impact. Use gloves, such as splash and contact thin Nitrile gloves, for working with chemicals and heavier chemical-resistant gloves for cleaning or for work where workers' hands are submerged in solvents.
Body shops are noisy, and workers seldom recognize that hearing damage not only occurs because of loud noises but more often from long-term exposure to moderate noise. Have ear protection available and in use to guard against long-term hearing loss.
Personal injury
Designate a person trained in first aid as the first responder if an accident happens, and name an alternate in case the primary person is unavailable. Train them to respond to acute injury and to administer first aid until Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has arrived. The first aid kit should be readily available.
Have a second person call for EMS aid and inform management of the emergency. If 911 isn't available in your area, create a list of necessary phone numbers. Your staff should know in advance what hospital to contact. Have emergency contact information for employees on file.
If chemicals or other hazardous materials are involved, designate someone to get the appropriate MSDS to accompany the injured to the emergency room. If blood or other bodily fluids have been spilled, a plan to clean and disinfect any contaminated area for possible blood borne pathogens should be in place.
For more details on MSDS, go to http://abrn.search-autoparts.com/abrn/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=469257.
Fighting fire
If there's a fire in your shop, evacuate the building and call the fire department. During these two initial steps, the fire responder should be able to operate the fire equipment and be able to identify the type of fire. With the increased use of magnesium in vehicles, have D-type fire extinguishers in your shop. Train the first responder to know which fire extinguisher to use and how to determine when to wait for the fire department to control the blaze.
Make a map and list of what, where and how much flammable material is stored in the building. This could be invaluable to firefighters and should be taken if the building
Spills
Spills are a potential risk in the body shop, from the most common oil and grease spills from damaged vehicle parts to more serious ones such as alkaline spills from hybrid battery damage. Chemical spills in the paint shop also are possible. Have a spill kit available, and again, designate a first responder.
Spill kits are commercially available in assorted sizes, from five gallons on up. They come with enclosure dams to limit the spread of a spill and either absorbent pillows or pads to soak up the spill. Most also have a plastic bag to put the contaminated material into after it is cleaned up, for safe disposal. A spill kit that is large enough for a potential spill should be available and ready for emergencies.
The workers cleaning up spills should protect themselves from harm. To do this they must know what type of spill has occurred and should be trained in both acid and alkaline cleanup and neutralization.
Storage
Store flammable materials and supplies in a specifically designed area with containers bonded to reduce sparks, or in a specifically designed storage cabinet, and make sure they meet local, state and federal requirements for your area. Typically they require that materials be stored away from heat and sun, doors are closed and secured, proper ventilation is used and signs indicate a hazardous materials storage area. Also, an up-to-date inventory list to aid firefighters must be available in a location away from electrical fuse boxes and panels. Staff should check storage containers periodically for leaks or damage. When a storage area is equipped with a spill dam, any spillage will be contained inside for cleanup.
Ventilation
Keep your shop's ventilation on a scheduled maintenance plan. Regularly check and replace filters. Use an exhaust vent tube on vehicles that are run in an enclosed building. Dust extractors should have air-flow checked and filters replaced when clogged. Clean vacuums frequently to maintain proper working order.
Ventilation devices become less efficient as the filters clog, and the ineffectiveness can be easily overlooked. Establish a regular filter change schedule and follow it.
Welding produces fumes that must be evacuated. Portable vacuums for welding ventilation can be moved to vehicles being welded. A flexible evacuation hose can be placed to remove the fumes.
Electrical
With the abundance of water in the body shop, electrical shock is a potential hazard. Many paint shops rely on air-powered tools that greatly reduce the risk of electrical hazards, but with the increase of electric hybrid vehicles and, soon to arrive, fully electrical vehicles, shops must be prepared for electrical emergencies.
Observe preventive measures like disconnecting high-voltage batteries when working on a hybrid or EV. Have techs trained to work safely on hybrids and have the needed safety equipment available. Have emergency shutoff or panic buttons installed that shut off all electrical power except lights. If not available, someone should be responsible for turning off the power before anyone touches the victim.
Training
All of a shop's employees should be trained in emergency response. Post a list of primary and secondary responders. Emergency contacts such as 911, police, fire, hospital and insurance provider telephone numbers should be posted. Review your emergency plan regularly to make sure all are aware of their responsibilities. An evacuation plan should be posted with a specific meeting place in a safe area, so someone can make sure that everyone is safe. A plan for emergencies such as earthquake, tornado, flood, etc., should be pre-planned, reviewed and posted. A shop also should have a warning system that is tested periodically, with test drills so all employees know what to do when the alarm sounds.
Classes for all employees like I-CAR's Hazardous Materials, Personal Safety, and Refinish Safety (WKR01) would be a great basis for a company safety plan. Any shop that has an emergency plan posted, practiced and reviewed regularly is better equipped to correctly and effectively respond in case of an emergency.
Final word: Your best ROI
Another old saying declares, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Check your insurance and workers comp costs; a little prevention can go a long way and save you a lot of money. With shops looking to reclaim money wherever they can, taking another look at safety is a great way to recoup money that could be better spent on new investments.
