Occupational Safety, Health and Environment
Occupational Safety, Health and Environment
This domain tests hazard recognition and control in a body shop: PPE selection, ventilation, fire prevention, electrical and vehicle hazards, and waste handling. The exam favours practical control measures over slogans.
Core rules
- Match PPE to the task: safety glasses with side shields, nitrile gloves, hearing protection, and steel-toe boots. For two-pack paints and isocyanates use a supplied-air respirator, not a dust mask.
- Read the SDS before use; know flash point, exposure limits, reactivity and first aid.
- Keep flammable liquids in approved cabinets, bond and ground drums, and use a hot-work permit and fire watch for welding.
- Support a lifted vehicle with jack stands; never rely on a hydraulic jack. Chock wheels and disconnect the battery before body or electrical work.
- EV and hybrid high-voltage systems require qualified isolation; wait the specified time after shutdown before service.
Worked example
A technician must spray two-pack urethane clearcoat in a booth. Reasoning: the hardener contains isocyanate, so a supplied-air respirator and skin coverage are required; the booth must be running and filters serviceable; ignition sources are controlled; waste rags go in a self-closing metal can. A dust mask would not seal or filter vapour.
Traps
Using compressed air to blow dust off clothing; storing solvent rags in open bins; working under a vehicle held only by a jack; assuming a respirator fits without a fit check; treating paint mist as harmless once the booth is switched off.
Key points
PPE must match the hazard, not the job title. SDS and ventilation are controls, not paperwork. Hot work needs a permit and fire watch. Jack stands and wheel chocks are mandatory. High-voltage work is restricted to qualified personnel.