Work environment safety and ergonomics
How to take care of your body and yourself in the workshop
It is easy to think of the working environment as something boring that sits in a folder. But in a workshop, it is what determines whether you can still work without pain in twenty years — and whether you avoid an accident tomorrow. That is why safety and ergonomics are part of your professional skill, not an addition to it.
§Chemistry and air
You encounter oils, cleaners, glues, grease, and — on electric vehicles — batteries. Some substances can irritate skin and airways, so you need to be able to read a safety data sheet, use gloves and extraction, and know the rules for epoxy and isocyanates. That's exactly why these courses are mandatory in the education.
§Noise, rotating parts and test drive
Pneumatic tools, grinders and motors on the test bench are noisy — wear hearing protection. Rotating wheels, chains and belts can catch loose clothing and jewellery, so keep yourself and the workshop tidy. When test driving, the same traffic rules apply as on the road.
§Ergonomics — the long haul.
Mechanic work is hard on the body if you do it wrong. Bicycles often hang in an assembly stand at a good working height for a reason: you should avoid standing bent over all day. Motorcycles and heavy parts are lifted with jacks and aids, not with your back.
- 01Set the working height so you don't work with a bent back or raised shoulders
- 02Use lifting aids for heavy parts — the back is not a crane
- 03Change working posture often, and alternate between tasks
- 04Keep the tool sharp and in order so you don't use unnecessary force
§Safety is also planning
Insurance claims
“The best mechanic is not the fastest — it is the one who can still turn a wrench without pain when the career is over.”
Think of work environment as maintenance of your most important tool: yourself.