Shop Safety Equipment Evolution
Eye protection, lifting safety, PPE and hazard controls as shops modernized.
When was OSHA created?
Short answer: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It set workplace safety rules that affected auto repair shops.
How did OSHA affect auto shops?
Short answer: OSHA rules required hazard communication, protective equipment and safe equipment practices.
OSHA rules required hazard communication, protective equipment and safe equipment practices. Shops adopted safety programs to comply.
When did OSHA issue the Hazard Communication Standard?
Short answer: OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard was issued in 1983.
OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard was issued in 1983. It required employers to inform workers about chemical hazards, affecting how auto shops handled solvents, coatings and other chemicals.
When did safety data sheets replace material safety data sheets?
Short answer: Material safety data sheets were long used to communicate chemical hazards in shops.
Material safety data sheets were long used to communicate chemical hazards in shops. When OSHA aligned its Hazard Communication Standard with the Globally Harmonized System in 2012, a standardized safety data sheet format replaced them.
When did ANSI Z87.1 begin setting eye protection standards?
Short answer: ANSI Z87.1 is the American standard for occupational eye and face protection.
ANSI Z87.1 is the American standard for occupational eye and face protection. Its first edition dates to the late 1960s, and it is referenced by OSHA for safety eyewear.
How did hearing protection become a shop safety concern?
Short answer: Air tools, grinders and compressors produce loud noise.
Air tools, grinders and compressors produce loud noise. Hearing protection became a safety concern as OSHA noise rules and awareness of hearing loss developed.
How did respiratory protection become standard in paint shops?
Short answer: Automotive paints and hardeners containing isocyanates and solvents posed serious respiratory hazards.
Automotive paints and hardeners containing isocyanates and solvents posed serious respiratory hazards. Spray booths, ventilation and supplied-air or properly rated respirators became standard practice in paint shops as these hazards became better understood and regulated.
How did jack stand safety standards develop?
Short answer: Jack stands are covered by ASME PASE standards that define load testing and labeling.
Jack stands are covered by ASME PASE standards that define load testing and labeling. These standards developed to reduce injuries from failed supports.
Why were early garages dangerous places to work?
Short answer: Early garages often lacked ventilation, used open flames and gasoline for cleaning, and relied on pits and makeshift jacks.
Early garages often lacked ventilation, used open flames and gasoline for cleaning, and relied on pits and makeshift jacks. Over the twentieth century, building codes, safety standards and better equipment made shops much safer.
Why did shops stop cleaning parts with gasoline?
Short answer: Gasoline was once commonly used to clean parts, but its vapors are highly flammable and harmful to breathe.
Gasoline was once commonly used to clean parts, but its vapors are highly flammable and harmful to breathe. Safer solvents, enclosed parts washers and water-based cleaners replaced the practice as safety awareness grew.
How did carbon monoxide awareness change auto shops?
Short answer: Running engines indoors can quickly produce dangerous carbon monoxide levels.
Running engines indoors can quickly produce dangerous carbon monoxide levels. Shops adopted exhaust hoses, ventilation and extraction systems to vent exhaust outdoors, and these became standard safety equipment.
How did asbestos regulations change brake service?
Short answer: Many older brake and clutch linings contained asbestos, and blowing dust off brakes with compressed air was once common.
Many older brake and clutch linings contained asbestos, and blowing dust off brakes with compressed air was once common. Health research and regulations led shops to use wet cleaning methods, enclosed vacuum systems and non-asbestos friction materials. For safety, read the operator's manual, stay within the rated capacity and wear eye protection.
Why did impact sockets replace chrome sockets on air tools?
Short answer: Chrome hand sockets are hard and can crack or shatter when used on impact wrenches.
Chrome hand sockets are hard and can crack or shatter when used on impact wrenches. Safety guidance and tool makers pushed technicians to use tougher impact-rated sockets with air and cordless impact tools.
How did hybrid and electric vehicles change shop safety?
Short answer: Hybrids and EVs carry high-voltage battery systems that can cause serious shock.
Hybrids and EVs carry high-voltage battery systems that can cause serious shock. Shops added insulated tools, rated gloves, high-voltage training and disconnect procedures as these vehicles became common in the 2000s and 2010s.
Why were split-rim wheels dangerous?
Short answer: Multi-piece split-rim wheels on trucks could separate violently if assembled or inflated incorrectly.
Multi-piece split-rim wheels on trucks could separate violently if assembled or inflated incorrectly. Serious injuries led to OSHA requirements for restraining devices such as inflation cages and remote inflation equipment.
General guidance only. Follow the vehicle and tool manufacturer's procedures, and confirm vehicle coverage on the tool maker's list before buying.