If you’re into doing your
car maintenance at home, then you’ll probably spend a lot of time in your garage. Still, just because you’re working at home doesn’t mean it can’t be risky. That’s why you’ll want to practice good garage safety. This way, you can work on your car in confidence…
Garage Safety: Key Principles
Good ventilation
Proper air flow is key for good garage safety. As you work, you might end up handling with a lot of different chemicals. It’s pretty common for these chemicals to release fumes in the process. Eventually, this could make it harder and harder for you to breathe properly.
Therefore, make sure you have good air flow in your garage. The easiest way to do this is by opening the garage door while your work. Some people also like to have ventilation systems installed in their garage. This lets them work on days where they can’t open the garage doors, like if the weather is poor or the temperature is low.
Secure your car
You’ll also want to make sure your car is securely in place as part of your garage safety. The two biggest risks here are your car either rolling or falling on top of you. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to prevent both of these things from occurring. All you’ll need are some simple tools.
Aside from just setting the emergency brake, it’s also good to place some
wheel chocks behind at least two of the wheels. This will prevent it from rolling back. For keeping the car up, you need to use both jacks and jack stands. The stands will be there to keep your car up if the jacks were to fail.
Protect yourself
Of course, wearing the right safety gear is an important part of garage safety. There’s a lot of potential hazards to your body which can pop up as you work. Aside from the chemicals, there’s sharp edges, and moving parts which can fly out at you, and loud noises. Gloves, safety glasses, and hearing protect should be worn at all times.
Don’t forget about having a fire extinguisher on hand too. You don’t want a fire to spread from your car, to the garage, and then to the rest of your house. Be sure it’s easily accessible and that you have the right kind for the type of fire which occurs.
