| Do not wear jewelry, long hair, neck tie, wristwatch, chain, necklace, bangles when repairing a vehicle |
| Get involved with hands on dismantling procedures because you can only acquire real knowledge through experience. Do not stand and watch people working and believe you understand what is going on. |
| Avoid exhaust system components when the engine is hot. This can cause serious hard-to-heal burns. Brake discs and drums can also get very hot even after moderate driving, allow some time for cooling before working on any of these components. |
| Never get under a vehicle that is supported by a Jack regardless of how sturdy and reliable the Jack looks. Hydraulic Jacks can suddenly loose pressure and mechanical jacks can break due to prolonged stresses.
Also, the Jack can slip if someone jerks the vehicle. Cement blocks, wood and sedimentary rock should not be used as vehicle support as they might break and drop over one ton of load crushing load on you.
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| Do not work on the fuel system of a vehicle over an inspection pit because fuel vapor is heavier than air and tends to stay down and might cause suffocation or become a source of fire hazard |
| Do not smoke or allow naked light anywhere near where a vehicle is being worked on. Ensure that you do not spill fuel into a hot engine and have a fire extinguisher near by at all times.
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| When working on the ignition system, ensure the ignition is switched off and wear insulating gloves to avoid the dangerous high voltages that are usually present. |
| Avoid inhaling exhaust fumes. Avoid skin contact with petrol, avoid sucking petrol through a siphon because these are very dangerous to the human body. |
| Battery acid is very corrosive and should be avoided. Prolonged contact with used engine oil can lead to skin cancer so it is important to wear latex gloves when dealing with used engine oil and vehicle batteries.
Should acid contact the skin or eyes, please wash with generous amounts of water before seeking further treatment if necessary. Have at least five gallons of clean water within reach at all times in your workshop.
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| Asbestos particles have been known to cause cancer and Asbestos is used in gaskets, brake pads, brake linings. Exercise special care when dealing with these materials. |
| When some types of synthetic rubber which is used in hoses and seals are subjected to extremely high temperatures (like in the case of a burnt vehicle), the rubber becomes charred and sticky and contains acids that are dangerous for many years.
When dealing with any burnt vehicle, please ensure you wear protective gloves and clothing before touching any part of the vehicle.
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| Batteries usually give off hydrogen gas that is highly explosive when in contact with air and naked flame. Take extra care when boosting a vehicle with an extra battery during starting and follow the proper procedure. |
| The air bag system can cause serious injury when suddenly activated. Exercise special care when working with the steering wheel by either removing the battery or the air bag system fuse for a while before starting work on any area of the vehicle the air bag is attached.
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| The ABS ( Anti lock Braking System) uses extremely high pressure fluid to operate. Never disconnect any line connected to the ABS pump without proper depressurization procedure. Each vehicle has a different procedure for relieving pressure on the ABS system . Do not take any chances.
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| If you do not feel well or you are generally not in a good mood, please do not attempt to repair anything. The possibility of making serious mistakes or injury increases considerably if you are not in a good mood.
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| Ensure the work area is properly illuminated before commencing work in order to avoid injury, losses and costly mistakes. |
| Always disconnect the negative terminal of the battery before working on the fuel and ignition system of any vehicle. Also ensure that the negative terminal is disconnected when you are under to vehicle in order to avoid accidental starting of the vehicle. However, ensure that you have access to any immobilizer codes that may be required for the radio. |
| Avoid disconnecting any fuel lines until the fuel system has been depressurized. Fuel spray can hit the exhaust manifold and create serious fire hazard.
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| Some fasteners (nuts, washers, circlips, bolts , cotter pins etc) used in vehicles are not reusable. Always replace these types with new ones because they are not likely to secure the component once they are loosened and this may cause dangerous leaks, slips or breakages while the engine is running. Inspect any of these fasteners to ensure they are not worn, stressed or deformed. |
| Remove the negative terminal of the battery before performing any welding on the vehicle.
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