Grassroots Motorsports

The current crop of TV reality shows like “Monster Garage” and “American Chopper” are seemingly reinforcing this attitude by showing professionals working with little regard to safety as the sparks fly. Sure, it’s cool to be like the guys on TV and use a MIG welder with one hand while merely squinting to block the sparks, but in reality such practices can stop a project cold.

Let’s Get Personal

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Safety starts with personal safety gear. You should have gloves, eye protection, ear protection, foot protection and, in some cases, extra body protection as you work on your projects. Many people shun much of this equipment in the name of comfort, but if you find the right equipment and wear it regularly, you’ll soon find yourself uncomfortable without it.

Having a few sets of gloves is a good way to keep your hands comfortable and your fingerprints still attached to your fingers. We like to use disposable latex gloves when we work with solvents and paint, cotton gloves (that are nearly disposable) when we’re moving things or loading the trailer, and leather gloves for welding and grinding operations.

If you’ve tried gloves and found them uncomfortable or not giving you the “feel” you desire, try another type or just give them a little time before giving up. You’ll soon find that they increase your productivity as well as safety.

A face shield and a set of safety glasses are an absolute must for a lot of operations in your shop. Try to wear the face shield most of the time, as it offers a lot more protection for your eyes. We use a face shield when we’re grinding or at the bench grinder and wear safety glasses for less intensive activities.

We usually wear a dust mask with the face shield for two reasons. First, grinding usually produces dust—sometimes toxic—and the mask keeps it out of our lungs. Second, the mask keeps us from fogging up the face shield.

Speaking of masks, you’ll want some of these, too. There are a lot of bad things in shop dust and car dust, like the asbestos that can be found in some brake linings, so appropriate disposable particle masks are essential. If you’re working with paint or solvents, it’s time to step up to the appropriate respirator. You’ll want to check with an auto parts store or paint supplier to match a particle mask and respirator to your needs. This can be a bit confusing, but it beats coughing up nasties or getting cancer, so it’s well worth the effort.

For welding, a proper helmet is absolutely essential. Auto-darkening helmets are proven safer than manual helmets and are pretty affordable these days.

If your welder came with a set of goggles or a hand-held “mask,” throw it away. Without proper eye protection, not only will your welds stink (because you can’t see what you’re welding), you can really screw up your eyes in a matter of seconds. Ask around, and you’ll hear of somebody who’s had flash burns from welding. They’ll tell you to always wear a helmet.

The research on prolonged exposure to noise causing hearing damage is clear: If you don’t wear ear protection, you’re eventually going to greatly diminish your hearing ability. We use three types of ear protection, depending on what we are doing.

Most of the time, we use headphone-type ear protection. Sometimes, we’ll use the earplug style, like when we’re welding when someone else is making a lot of noise. (The headphone-type ear protection won’t fit under the welding helmet.) We always carry a few sets of disposable earplugs in the glove boxes of our cars in case we need some at the race track or other noisy place.

If you’ve ever dropped something that weighs more than about 1 pound on your feet, then you’ll understand why steel-toed boots are essential in your shop. We strongly recommend them. Just like other safety gear, they may feel uncomfortable at first, but if you buy a decent pair and break them in, they’ll save you from flat toes very nicely.

If steel-toed shoes just aren’t going to work for you, at least wear leather shoes, not canvas or nylon ones. A smoldering ember from a grinder, welder or torch is not going to burn through the leather as fast as the other materials. Have you ever seen someone doing the welder’s dance when an ember burns through the top of his shoe? It’s not fun.

For some operations, there are times to wear a coat or apron. You should always wear a welding jacket when you’re welding, and sometimes a leather apron is good for welding or grinding work.

When you’re welding, also wear long sleeves, long pants and even try to cover your neck. (A proper welding coat will also cover the neck.) Otherwise, in addition to the potential for burns, you’re getting infrared radiation from the welding process that can give you a sunburn.

All of these items will cost a few bucks, but the last personal safety item costs nothing: common sense. Don’t wear loose clothing that can get caught on things like a spinning bench grinder. If you have long hair, tie it back. Like to wear jewelry? Maybe it’s best to take it off when working on the car. Don’t use power tools or work near operating machinery when wearing a necktie.

Generally speaking, if something seems like it may hurt someone, take a moment to think of a safer way to do it. (More on this later on.)

FIRE!!

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One of the biggest risks in a shop is fire. Most cars contain batteries, gas, oil and other things that can easily catch fire or explode. Welding, grinding and heating parts with a torch all increase the likelihood of fire. Despite these risks, it’s amazing how many people have no fire protection in their shops.

We keep several fire extinguishers in our shop. We always make sure we know right where they are, and if we’re doing something that risks fire, we put them right beside us so we can immediately put out any fire that starts.

We have the dry chemical fire extinguishers, but also have a carbon dioxide unit that we’d use first. The dry units are cheaper and effective on most types of fire, but they make a big mess. The carbon dioxide units cost more—they start at about $50—but don’t make a mess. Should a car catch fire, we’d rather use the carbon dioxide unit so we have less cleanup, and would grab it first.

If the carbon dioxide extinguisher won’t finish the job, we’ll pick up one of the dry chemical units next. When fighting a fire, remember to point the extinguisher at the base of the fire, not at the flames.

Fire extinguishers can be purchased just about anywhere, but most of the ones you see at retail stores are light-duty cheapo units. While they’re better than nothing, we feel industrial-grade units are a better choice. We’ve found that we can buy reconditioned used units from fire extinguisher companies for just a bit more than cheapo models. These models usually have more capacity than the retail units in addition to better build quality.

Common sense applies to fire safety just as it does to personal safety. When we’re welding, grinding or doing other operations that create a fire risk, we make sure that the sparks aren’t going to hit something that could go boom. Probably the biggest risk is the wastebasket, so we keep that far away. Gas cans, paint, solvents and thinners are all kept in separate areas.

Rags, especially oily ones, can also be a fire hazard. A rag can with an airtight lid is a smart investment. Not only does the can starve a potential fire of oxygen, but the closed lid keeps out sparks.

More common sense tells us that if we are going to risk setting a car on fire, it’s wise to have it on its wheels and not blocked in place. If a fire gets out of control, we can push the car through the door and not burn the shop down with the car inside.

Finally, we believe in the “15 minute rule” for fire safety. We spend the last 15 minutes of our shop time cleaning up or admiring our work, not making sparks or doing anything that may cause a fire. Sometimes an ember may smolder for awhile before turning into a fire, and the “15 minute rule” lets us make sure that doesn’t happen after we leave.

Shop Practices

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If you get into the habit of working safely in your shop, then you probably will get to stay out of the emergency room most of the time. Here are some practices that will keep you safe.

When you’re working with wrenches on stuck parts, use the longest wrench possible so that you can employ the mechanical advantage for lighter, steadier force. Think about what the wrench is going to hit if it slips or the bolt breaks; then position yourself so that it doesn’t hit you.

If you’re drilling, clamp the part down so that it won’t spin out of control if the drill bit gets caught. Likewise, try to hold the drill with both hands so the drill won’t jump away if the bit gets caught. (If you have been practicing shop safety, you should still have two hands.)

Never hold a part in your hand and drill into it. If the part slips, you’re going to have a painful hole in your hand. (Ask how we know.)

When you’re working with bench grinders, make sure that you’re not standing in the potential flight path of the part you’re working on. Before grinding, buffing or wire-wheeling, think about where the part may go if the wheel grabs it. Then make sure the part will go past you and not into you. Don’t forget to consider how the part may bounce. A ricochet shot into the back of the head still smarts.

Also think about how you can firmly grip the piece so it won’t get away from you. However, don’t grip the part so firmly that your hand could get pulled into the grinder if the piece gets caught. Keep a set of gloves and eye protection near the grinders at all times so it’s convenient to put them on when you get to work.

Similar rules apply to handheld grinders. Make sure the grinder won’t get the best of you, and especially think about where the sparks are going to go. If the tool has the power to grind metal, just what do you think it will do when it encounters human flesh?

When you’re working with hammers and chisels or punches, use the biggest hammer you can so you can again use mechanical advantage the right way. Your strength is better used to hold the chisel or punch in position than to swing the hammer hard.

Before swinging away, think about where the chisel or punch may go if it slips out of position. Make sure it isn’t going to hurt anyone or damage anything. And never strike a punch or chisel that has a mushroomed end—a fragment may break off and take your eye out. (You are wearing eye protection, right?)

Try to avoid heavy lifting. Can you use a jack, cherry picker or ramps instead? Can you get a helper? If you must do the heavy lifting, make sure you’re doing it in a back-friendly way and think ahead. Can you lift it in a way that minimizes damage to you or the object if it gets dropped? Here are some hints: Don’t lift objects over other objects or yourself, don’t lift them too high in one step, and don’t lift them if you have a bad grip.

When you’re working on a car, follow these simple rules for a long and healthy life: Never open a radiator cap or work with a battery with your face or any other part of your body in direct line of the potential explosion. If you’re working with electrical components, disconnect the ground or both cables at the battery, not just the positive cable (assuming negative ground). Always disconnect the ground first, because you risk shorting the wrench to ground. Never work under a car without jack stands put in safe places. Never work under a car that’s on cement blocks or other things that are not jack stands. Make sure the car is in neutral before you try to start it.

Don’t grab or touch hot things.

Try to avoid performing dangerous operations when you’re alone in the shop. If something bad happens, who’s going bail you out or call for more help? If you’re pinned under a car, it won’t be you.

If it’s not practical to have someone there, make sure there’s a plan for someone to check on you from time to time, or at least keep a phone by your side so you can call 911. (If you’re still conscious, of course.)

Working while drunk, tired, angry, stressed, rushed or under the influence of drugs can also be very dangerous. Work while sober and with a clear head.

Know where your first-aid kit is located and check its contents often. There’s nothing worse than opening up a first-aid kit to find it empty. (Been there, done that.)

Make your friends and guests follow your rules, and explain the rules when they are in your shop. Keep some extra safety gear around for them to wear. Sure, they may think you’re not as cool as the guys on “American Chopper,” but a buddy with one less eye (or a lawsuit for you) isn’t very cool either.

Make Safety a Habit

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While we’ve really just scratched the surface of safety practices for you and your shop, we hope that we’ve given you some ideas to build upon. Our final recommendation is to make a habit out of safety. Don’t forget about this corollary to Murphy’s Law: The one time you leave off your safety gear is the one time you’ll need it.

If you always go about things in a safe way, you’ll find the gear and practices more comfortable than the “Monster Garage” methods. This in turn will keep you working on your car instead of dressing your wounds.

Epilogue: Do as We Say, Not as We Do

Just as we were finishing this story, we had to move a rusty chassis that was in our shop. “It’s just a couple of feet,” we said. So, while we always wear gloves for this type of thing, since it was just a couple of feet, we did it bare-handed.

The 2-inch gash in the right hand bled like stink for about an hour and hurt for about a week. Good thing we’d had our tetanus shots.