Automobile Workshop Safety
Domain focus
Automobile Workshop Safety tests whether you can recognise hazards, select controls, and act correctly in emergencies. Expect questions on PPE, jacking, fire, battery handling, exhaust gas, housekeeping, and first aid.
Core rules
- Wear safety glasses, closed shoes, and task-appropriate gloves; tie back loose clothing and remove jewellery near rotating parts.
- Chock wheels and place stands under the chassis before working beneath a vehicle. A jack is a lifting device, not a support.
- Treat petrol and solvent vapours as flammable. Remove ignition sources, ventilate, and use the extinguisher marked for the fuel or electrical risk; never use water on live electrical equipment or burning fuel.
- Disconnect the battery negative terminal before electrical or welding work. Batteries can release hydrogen, so keep sparks away and provide eye wash.
- Route exhaust outside or use extraction; carbon monoxide is odourless and dangerous.
- Clean spills immediately with absorbent, label waste, and keep walkways clear.
Worked example
A grinder is about to be used near a petrol leak. The correct decision is to stop hot work, isolate the fuel source, disconnect the battery, ventilate the area, absorb the spill, and remove ignition sources before restarting. The reasoning is that the fire triangle needs fuel, oxygen, and heat; removing fuel and heat prevents ignition.
Traps
Relying on a jack alone, using water on a fuel or electrical fire, wearing gloves near a rotating shaft, and leaving oily tools on the floor are common mark losers.