Health and safety priorities for servicing and mechanical repair
Most accidents in servicing/mechanical repair involve slips, trips and falls or poor manual handling. Other causes of incidents sometimes resulting in serious injury or death include working under inadequately supported vehicles, incidents involving petrol and vehicle movement. Most deaths in MVR are caused when a person is trapped (and crushed) under an inadequately supported vehicle which has been raised or had a wheel removed.
Fires or explosions, in particular during work on fuel tanks or lines cause serious burns to individuals sometimes resulting in death and also substantial fire damage to contents and structures. Tyre explosions and disintegration of multipiece wheels also continue to give cause for concern. These incidents do not necessarily occur in a 'garage' but can occur, for example, on farms, quarries or anywhere where vehicles undergo repair or maintenance, including at the roadside.
Particular issues for mechanical repair
Also see Common MVR Topics[55] for other issues relevant to mechanical repair and servicing including hand arm vibration, falls from height, manual handling, used engine oil etc
For Roadside recovery and repair specific issues see:
Road traffic incidents (RTIs) and roadside safety[56]