Automotive Workshop Safety
Automotive Workshop Safety
This domain checks whether you can recognise hazards in a vehicle workshop, select the right PPE, support a vehicle safely, and respond correctly to fire, battery acid and exhaust gas. BSEH NSQF Secondary questions often use a short workshop scene and ask what should be done first.
Core rules
- PPE: safety goggles, steel-toe boots, nitrile gloves, ear protection and a dust mask. Remove rings, watches and loose sleeves before using a lathe, grinder or drill.
- Support: apply the parking brake, chock the wheels and place jack stands under the recommended chassis points. A hydraulic jack is a lifting device, not a support.
- Fluids: petrol and solvents are Class B flammable liquids; water spreads them. Use dry powder, foam or CO2. For a live electrical panel, use CO2 or dry powder and isolate the supply.
- Battery: charging gives off hydrogen. Keep sparks away, connect the positive terminal first when fitting, and disconnect the negative first when removing. Acid on skin: flush with plenty of water.
- Exhaust: carbon monoxide is odourless. Never run an engine in a closed room; use an extraction hose.
- Hot systems: never open a radiator cap on a hot engine. Coolant can be above 100 °C under pressure.
Worked example
A technician spills about a litre of petrol and the vapour ignites near a bench. Reason it out: the fuel is a Class B liquid, so water would spread the burning fuel. The correct order is to raise the alarm and evacuate, switch off electrical equipment if safe, smother the fire with a dry-powder or foam extinguisher aimed at the base, and call the fire service. A CO2 extinguisher is acceptable for electrical equipment but not for a large petrol pool because it displaces oxygen only briefly and offers little cooling.
Traps that cost marks
- Choosing water for petrol or electrical fires.
- Working under a car supported only by a jack.
- Opening the radiator cap while hot.
- Cleaning hands with compressed air or petrol.