Maintaining Tire Safety in Your Auto Garage

When working in an auto shop, it’s important for your employees to stay safe at all times. Whether it’s changing transmissions or changing brake fluid, employees must adhere to a high safety standard so they avoid injuries to themselves and others. One common type of car maintenance that is very routine is changing tires and any services relating to them. Even something like rotating or changing tires can lead to injuries. To keep your employees safe while changing tires and to avoid any garage insurance claims, here are some standard safety tips:

1. Use the positive lock-down device to hold the wheel on the tire machine before you attempt to inflate the tire. If the tire is mounted on a machine that does not have a positive lock-down device, perform inflation in a safety cage.
2. Use an extension air hose with an air pressure gauge to check the tire pressure. Do not inflate beyond 40 pounds of air pressure when trying to seat the beads. If both beads are not completely seated when pressure reaches 40 pounds, completely deflate the assembly, reposition the tire and the tube on the rim and re-inflate.
3. Inspect both sides of the tire to be sure that the beads are evenly seated.
4. After the beads are fully seated, adjust the tire pressure to meet the operating pressure labeled on the tire sidewall.
5. Replace a tire on a rim with another tire of exactly the same rim diameter designation and suffix letters.
6. Do not mount or use tires, tubes, wheels or rims that are split, cracked, cut or contain signs of other structural defects.
7. Wear leather gloves when removing rocks, glass and other foreign materials from the tire tread.

At Wolpert Insurance & Risk Management, we want those working in auto shops to have the safety information they need. By passing these tips off to your employees, you’ll be putting in a concerted effort to help safety remain a high priority at your business. For more information, contact us today.

Maintaining Tire Safety in Your Auto Garage

When working in an auto shop, it’s important for your employees to stay safe at all times. Whether it’s changing transmissions or changing brake fluid, employees must adhere to a high safety standard so they avoid injuries to themselves and others. One common type of car maintenance that is very routine is changing tires and any services relating to them. Even something like rotating or changing tires can lead to injuries. To keep your employees safe while changing tires and to avoid any garage insurance claims, here are some standard safety tips:
1. Use the positive lock-down device to hold the wheel on the tire machine before you attempt to inflate the tire. If the tire is mounted on a machine that does not have a positive lock-down device, perform inflation in a safety cage.
2. Use an extension air hose with an air pressure gauge to check the tire pressure. Do not inflate beyond 40 pounds of air pressure when trying to seat the beads. If both beads are not completely seated when pressure reaches 40 pounds, completely deflate the assembly, reposition the tire and the tube on the rim and re-inflate.
3. Inspect both sides of the tire to be sure that the beads are evenly seated.
4. After the beads are fully seated, adjust the tire pressure to meet the operating pressure labeled on the tire sidewall.
5. Replace a tire on a rim with another tire of exactly the same rim diameter designation and suffix letters.
6. Do not mount or use tires, tubes, wheels or rims that are split, cracked, cut or contain signs of other structural defects.
7. Wear leather gloves when removing rocks, glass and other foreign materials from the tire tread.

At Wolpert Insurance & Risk Management, we want those working in auto shops to have the safety information they need. By passing these tips off to your employees, you’ll be putting in a concerted effort to help safety remain a high priority at your business. For more information, contact us today.

Common Best Practices for Maintaining Safety in Your Auto Shop

Owning an auto shop isn’t easy, and one thing owners have to keep in mind at all times is safety. There are a variety of issues that can befall an auto shop at any given time, so being aware of what can happen should be mandatory in your business. Otherwise, you may need to file a claim on your auto garage insurance. Here is a list of seven simple, yet effective ways for employees to stay safe:

1.    Unauthorized people should never be allowed to use any shop equipment whatsoever. Unauthorized individuals should also be prohibited from visiting or loitering in the actual shop.
2.    Never leave a machine operating while it is unattended. An employee who walks by a machine, or goes to use it who is unaware that is already on, may risk injury.
3.    Check emergency equipment, including emergency lighting, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and eye wash stations at least every month. It’s important to make sure things such as first aid kits are always fully stocked with bandages, tape, ointments and other first aid items so when the time comes to use them, they are available. Also, fire extinguishers should be 100% full at all times.
4.    Check all hand tools, power tools and large shop equipment for damages or general wear and tear. You may find that you need to order replacement parts, cords or guards. Power tools and equipment that are damaged should never be used because they could malfunction.
5.    Maintain good safety practices, including:
•    Clean- up spills immediately.
•    Keep walkways and stairs free of tripping hazards.
•    Properly store oily/dirty rags in a container and empty the container every night.
•    Remove excess oils and filings from your shop machinery to keep them clean and safe for use.
6.    Make sure employees never wear jewelry or loose clothing when using machinery, especially those that rotate.
7.    Let it be known that if employees are confused about anything pertaining to your auto shops safety procedures , they should contact a supervisor or another co-worker for assistance.

At Wolpert Insurance & Risk Management, we want auto shop owners to understand that maintaining proper safety in their place of business is paramount to maintaining success for the future. For more information about shop safety or auto shop insurance, contact us today for more information.

Common Best Practices for Maintaining Safety in Your Auto Shop

Owning an auto shop isn’t easy, and one thing owners have to keep in mind at all times is safety. There are a variety of issues that can befall an auto shop at any given time, so being aware of what can happen should be mandatory in your business. Otherwise, you may need to file a claim on your auto garage insurance. Here is a list of seven simple, yet effective ways for employees to stay safe:

1. Unauthorized people should never be allowed to use any shop equipment whatsoever. Unauthorized individuals should also be prohibited from visiting or loitering in the actual shop.
2. Never leave a machine operating while it is unattended. An employee who walks by a machine, or goes to use it who is unaware that is already on, may risk injury.
3. Check emergency equipment, including emergency lighting, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and eye wash stations at least every month. It’s important to make sure things such as first aid kits are always fully stocked with bandages, tape, ointments and other first aid items so when the time comes to use them, they are available. Also, fire extinguishers should be 100% full at all times.
4. Check all hand tools, power tools and large shop equipment for damages or general wear and tear. You may find that you need to order replacement parts, cords or guards. Power tools and equipment that are damaged should never be used because they could malfunction.
5. Maintain good safety practices, including:
• Clean- up spills immediately.
• Keep walkways and stairs free of tripping hazards.
• Properly store oily/dirty rags in a container and empty the container every night.
• Remove excess oils and filings from your shop machinery to keep them clean and safe for use.
6. Make sure employees never wear jewelry or loose clothing when using machinery, especially those that rotate.
7. Let it be known that if employees are confused about anything pertaining to your auto shops safety procedures , they should contact a supervisor or another co-worker for assistance.

At Wolpert Insurance & Risk Management, we want auto shop owners to understand that maintaining proper safety in their place of business is paramount to maintaining success for the future. For more information about shop safety or auto shop insurance, contact us today for more information.