Safety First
By: Craig French
Safety First
by / Craig French
In my last article I covered some topics on shop safety. I’d like to expand on that theme today and delve a little deeper into the safe handling and storage procedures for two of the most common substances found in most power product and motorcycle service departments: gasoline and contact cleaner.
Gasoline poses health hazards to mechanics beyond the obvious fact that it’s flammable. The effects of both short term and long term exposure to gasoline have been documented extensively. In the short term it’s harmful to the skin, eyes and lungs, and in the long term exposure to gasoline fumes can lead to cancer and brain damage. Many mechanics become sensitized to the effects of gasoline fumes over the years. A quick whiff can often drop a seasoned mechanic to his knees.
So how does a shop owner go about minimizing the risk to his employees? Quite simply, he must make sure that gasoline is stored and handled properly in his shop. Proper storage involves making sure that all flammable chemicals are stored in appropriate approved containers and that the containers are stored in an approved flammable chemicals cabinet. Gasoline containers, usually approved jerry cans, should never be left lying around with the spigots attached in the ready-to-pour position. Aside from being a fire hazard, gasoline fumes will be free to flow from the jerry can. Being heavier than air, the fumes will tend to settle out along the floor of the shop where they present both a fire and toxic hazard as they get stirred up.
Sometimes racing fuel is stored in shops. The fuel tends to come in large metal drums, and often times a hand pump is attached to the drum so that the fuel can be pumped out. Did you know that there are laws in place regarding the maximum quantity of fuel that can be stored in a shop? I pretty much guarantee that storing large drums of fuel in your shop contravenes the National Fire Code. Every province enforces its own variation of this code. A call to your local fire station can help put you in touch with your local fire inspector. Chances are he already visits your shop regularly. He’ll be able to advise you on the exact rules and regulations regarding safe fuel storage for your shop.
Here are a few more helpful hints regarding fuel storage and handling:
-Never siphon gasoline by sucking on the end of a hose.
-If gasoline is ingested, do not induce vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention.
-If gasoline is spilled on your skin, wash it off immediately ( if you’ve ever had the misfortune of leaning on a gas soaked bench, you’ll know first hand how much of a skin irritant gasoline can be to certain areas of the body!)
-Always wear eye protection when handling gasoline.
-Become familiar with the location of your shop’s eye wash station. In the event that you do get gas in your eyes you’ll have to be able to make your way to the station in a temporarily blinded state. Small eyewash bottles are only intended to be used to help you get to an approved eyewash station. An eyewash station meeting ANSI standard Z358.1-2004 must be mounted in an accessible location. The eyewash must be capable of washing the eyes for a minimum of 15 minutes.
-Never fill jerry cans or fuel tanks more than 95 percent full. You must leave an air space for expansion or risk fuel leakage, should the container warm up.
-Make sure carburetors are completely drained before storing them off the unit.
-Whenever possible put fuel tanks back on the unit if you’re storing the unit for a period of time, say, during an engine rebuild.
-When refuelling a machine, make sure you do it outside, weather permitting. Refuelling a unit on a raised workbench is just asking for a lung full of fumes. Often you can actually see the fumes billowing out of the tank filler cap onto your body.
-Wear approved gloves when handling fuel, especially when rebuilding carburetors. This not only protects your skin, but might save your marriage (stinky hands aren’t sexy!)
Also, be very careful where you place a jerry can in the shop. I once saw a mechanic grinding metal on a grinding wheel, while sparks were bouncing off the top of an open jerry can placed on the floor a few meters from the grinding station. Another time I had just finished draining fuel from a motorcycle fuel tank into a drain tub, and placed the tub temporarily outside the side shop door while I moved the bike. A customer came walking in the door and thoughtfully disposed of his cigarette before entering the shop. Unfortunately, he flicked his butt right into the tub full of gas. He was quite shocked when I told him that the tub was full of fuel. Luckily, in both cases, the fuel didn’t ignite.
Aerosol contact cleaner is a substance that presents its own unique hazards. Most brands of contact cleaner are alcohol based. Like gasoline, they cause skin and eye irritation, and are highly flammable. But what really makes contact cleaner special is the effect it can have on the lungs when heated. Breathing the heated fumes of heated contact cleaner is extremely hazardous. How does contact cleaner get heated, you ask? There are number of ways this can occur:
-Never spray contact cleaner onto heated parts. I once watched a fellow mechanic spray some contact cleaner onto a blind mounted bearing in a heated engine case in order to cool the bearing down and help it drop out of the case. He was standing over the warmed up case as he sprayed the bearing. Of course the bearing was warm, and as soon as the contact cleaner hit the bearing he caught a whiff of the warm fumes. Down he went.
-Never use contact cleaner to look for intake manifold leaks on a running engine. Heaven help you if you or a fellow mechanic should walk behind the bike if you don’t have exhaust vent hoses hooked up.
-And last but not least, never spray contact cleaner through a lighter flame to create a blow torch in order to rid your shop of pesky insects (wasps come to mind). Besides the obvious fire hazard and the bad karma you’ll get for frying the poor little beasty, you might catch a lung full of the burned fumes that tend to linger in the immediate vicinity of the murder scene.
Remember: consult the MSDS (material safety data sheet) on any chemical used in your shop if you are concerned about the effects it may have on you. These sheets are required by law to be in your shop in a properly located WHMIS (workplace hazardous material information system) station. Whenever a new product is introduced into your work area, a MSDS on the substance must be added to the binder. MSDSs are available from the supplier. All you have to do is ask for them at the time of purchase.
Craig French is Assistant Program Head and instructor at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) in Fairview, Alberta. He oversees the following programs: Pre-employment Motorcycle Mechanic, Apprenticeship Motorcycle Mechanic and Outdoor Power Equipment Technician. Also available at NAIT Fairview Campus is Canada's only Harley-DavidsonR Technician training program and Motorcycle Rider Safety Training. For more information on any of these programs, contact Craig French at craigf@nait.ca or 888.999.7882.
by / Craig French
In my last article I covered some topics on shop safety. I’d like to expand on that theme today and delve a little deeper into the safe handling and storage procedures for two of the most common substances found in most power product and motorcycle service departments: gasoline and contact cleaner.
Gasoline poses health hazards to mechanics beyond the obvious fact that it’s flammable. The effects of both short term and long term exposure to gasoline have been documented extensively. In the short term it’s harmful to the skin, eyes and lungs, and in the long term exposure to gasoline fumes can lead to cancer and brain damage. Many mechanics become sensitized to the effects of gasoline fumes over the years. A quick whiff can often drop a seasoned mechanic to his knees.
So how does a shop owner go about minimizing the risk to his employees? Quite simply, he must make sure that gasoline is stored and handled properly in his shop. Proper storage involves making sure that all flammable chemicals are stored in appropriate approved containers and that the containers are stored in an approved flammable chemicals cabinet. Gasoline containers, usually approved jerry cans, should never be left lying around with the spigots attached in the ready-to-pour position. Aside from being a fire hazard, gasoline fumes will be free to flow from the jerry can. Being heavier than air, the fumes will tend to settle out along the floor of the shop where they present both a fire and toxic hazard as they get stirred up.
Sometimes racing fuel is stored in shops. The fuel tends to come in large metal drums, and often times a hand pump is attached to the drum so that the fuel can be pumped out. Did you know that there are laws in place regarding the maximum quantity of fuel that can be stored in a shop? I pretty much guarantee that storing large drums of fuel in your shop contravenes the National Fire Code. Every province enforces its own variation of this code. A call to your local fire station can help put you in touch with your local fire inspector. Chances are he already visits your shop regularly. He’ll be able to advise you on the exact rules and regulations regarding safe fuel storage for your shop.
Here are a few more helpful hints regarding fuel storage and handling:
-Never siphon gasoline by sucking on the end of a hose.
-If gasoline is ingested, do not induce vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention.
-If gasoline is spilled on your skin, wash it off immediately ( if you’ve ever had the misfortune of leaning on a gas soaked bench, you’ll know first hand how much of a skin irritant gasoline can be to certain areas of the body!)
-Always wear eye protection when handling gasoline.
-Become familiar with the location of your shop’s eye wash station. In the event that you do get gas in your eyes you’ll have to be able to make your way to the station in a temporarily blinded state. Small eyewash bottles are only intended to be used to help you get to an approved eyewash station. An eyewash station meeting ANSI standard Z358.1-2004 must be mounted in an accessible location. The eyewash must be capable of washing the eyes for a minimum of 15 minutes.
-Never fill jerry cans or fuel tanks more than 95 percent full. You must leave an air space for expansion or risk fuel leakage, should the container warm up.
-Make sure carburetors are completely drained before storing them off the unit.
-Whenever possible put fuel tanks back on the unit if you’re storing the unit for a period of time, say, during an engine rebuild.
-When refuelling a machine, make sure you do it outside, weather permitting. Refuelling a unit on a raised workbench is just asking for a lung full of fumes. Often you can actually see the fumes billowing out of the tank filler cap onto your body.
-Wear approved gloves when handling fuel, especially when rebuilding carburetors. This not only protects your skin, but might save your marriage (stinky hands aren’t sexy!)
Also, be very careful where you place a jerry can in the shop. I once saw a mechanic grinding metal on a grinding wheel, while sparks were bouncing off the top of an open jerry can placed on the floor a few meters from the grinding station. Another time I had just finished draining fuel from a motorcycle fuel tank into a drain tub, and placed the tub temporarily outside the side shop door while I moved the bike. A customer came walking in the door and thoughtfully disposed of his cigarette before entering the shop. Unfortunately, he flicked his butt right into the tub full of gas. He was quite shocked when I told him that the tub was full of fuel. Luckily, in both cases, the fuel didn’t ignite.
Aerosol contact cleaner is a substance that presents its own unique hazards. Most brands of contact cleaner are alcohol based. Like gasoline, they cause skin and eye irritation, and are highly flammable. But what really makes contact cleaner special is the effect it can have on the lungs when heated. Breathing the heated fumes of heated contact cleaner is extremely hazardous. How does contact cleaner get heated, you ask? There are number of ways this can occur:
-Never spray contact cleaner onto heated parts. I once watched a fellow mechanic spray some contact cleaner onto a blind mounted bearing in a heated engine case in order to cool the bearing down and help it drop out of the case. He was standing over the warmed up case as he sprayed the bearing. Of course the bearing was warm, and as soon as the contact cleaner hit the bearing he caught a whiff of the warm fumes. Down he went.
-Never use contact cleaner to look for intake manifold leaks on a running engine. Heaven help you if you or a fellow mechanic should walk behind the bike if you don’t have exhaust vent hoses hooked up.
-And last but not least, never spray contact cleaner through a lighter flame to create a blow torch in order to rid your shop of pesky insects (wasps come to mind). Besides the obvious fire hazard and the bad karma you’ll get for frying the poor little beasty, you might catch a lung full of the burned fumes that tend to linger in the immediate vicinity of the murder scene.
Remember: consult the MSDS (material safety data sheet) on any chemical used in your shop if you are concerned about the effects it may have on you. These sheets are required by law to be in your shop in a properly located WHMIS (workplace hazardous material information system) station. Whenever a new product is introduced into your work area, a MSDS on the substance must be added to the binder. MSDSs are available from the supplier. All you have to do is ask for them at the time of purchase.
Craig French is Assistant Program Head and instructor at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) in Fairview, Alberta. He oversees the following programs: Pre-employment Motorcycle Mechanic, Apprenticeship Motorcycle Mechanic and Outdoor Power Equipment Technician. Also available at NAIT Fairview Campus is Canada's only Harley-DavidsonR Technician training program and Motorcycle Rider Safety Training. For more information on any of these programs, contact Craig French at craigf@nait.ca or 888.999.7882.
