mechanic brochure

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Health Risks of Auto Repair Technicians

Workers in the auto repair industry are faced with many risks on a day to day basis.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 9,940 nonfatal and illness cases with days away from work in 2020.

The 5 most common injuries auto mechanics and technicians encounter while at work are:

• Strains and Sprains
• Eye Injuries
• Chemical Burns
• Loss of Limb or Digit
• Slips and Falls

Ways to Stay Safe At Work

Strains and sprains are caused by competitive and awkward movements and lifting of heavy machinery and tools, such as having to change tires and holding heavy transmissions and axels.

Workers can try to mitigate these injuries by having a regular stretching routine.

The second most common injury for Auto technician workers are eye injuries. These injuries occur when having to work under old, dirty, or leaky cars. For example, when a technicion is doing an oil change and hot old oil splashes into the technician's eye.

Eye injuries can be prevented by always wearing PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). These PPE include safety glasses and gloves. It's also important to have an eyewashing station available in the shop or wherever the technicion is working.

This women does not have any PPE on and is at risk for injury. She should have eye protection and safety gloves on at a minimum.

Strains and Sprains

Eye Injuries

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Burns

Burns are another common injury. Auto technicians are routinely handling hazardous and flammable liquids and extremely hot surfaces. Burns can occur due to carelessness and not wearing propper PPE or following OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Addministration) guidelines.

This is an example of a typical burn that a auto technicion could get if they were not wearing protective equipment. Some examples of proper PPE would be burn gloves and a hard hat. Other ways to help prevent chemical burns would be to make sure all hazardous and flammable liquids are properly labeled and secured and by ensuring they are properly sealed and not leaking.

Long Term Exposures to Hazerdsous Materials

Auto repair technicians are exposed to several different types of hazerdous materials. These include gasoline, cleaning agents, degreasers, petrol oils, and if working on older cars, asbestos. Chronic exposure to these hazerdous materials have been linked to several different medical conditions such as skin cancer, lung cancer, asthma, organ damage, mesothelioma, etc.

Ways to mitigate longterm exposure to these toxic substances include ventilation systems, wearng your PPE, and following OSHA guidlines for safety.

Workplace safety starts with recognizing the dangers, using the propper protective equipment, and following safety guidlines to prevent the worker from experiencing servere current or future harm.

Thank You for Reading. I hope you learned something about Auto Technician Health and Safety!

Citations

“Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, 2016-2020.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/iif/snapshots/osn-automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics-2016-20.htm. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024. “Top 5 Occupational Hazards in Your Auto Shop: Keeping Mechanics & Technicians Safe.” Top 5 Occupational Hazards in Your Auto Shop: Keeping Mechanics & Technicians Safe | Rockford Mutual Insurance Company, www.rockfordmutual.com/blog/top-5-occupational-hazards-your-auto-shop-keeping-mechanics-technicians-safe. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024. Government of Canada, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. “Mechanic.” Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, 10 May 2024, www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/occup_workplace/mechanic.html.