If there is an inspection pit in your workshop, you may be worried about pit falls.
Although inspection pits offer the safest way to inspect a vehicle within a workshop, there is always the risk that someone in the working environment will fall into a pit and suffer an injury.
Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to avoid common pit falls and ensure the safety of your workers and clients.
One of the most effective ways to prevent a pit fall is to restrict access to the work area where the prefabricated pit is located. You should only approve access to people who need to be there at any given time. Keeping your clients safe is great for customer service.
Painting chevrons on the floor around the pit is a good idea so that people can clearly see the designated area and place clearly visible signs and warnings, i.e., OPEN PIT, nearby so that your workers know to be vigilant.
An inspection pit cover is designed to safeguard open pits against falls whilst still allowing access to the vehicle. Look for pit covers that are robust, fully adjustable, and easy to deploy for maximum efficiency and safety.
You should also make sure that the pit is completely covered when not in use and that the inspection pit cover you select offers a perfect fit over the opening.
It is vital that you keep the work area clean and tidy if you want to prevent falls into service pits. It is vital that you wipe up any spills immediately and stop working until the area is clean and dry.
It would help if you also kept the area of your workshop where the pit is located well-lit so that people can see it. However, you must turn off any pit lighting once your workshop has closed for the day.
An inspection pit is effectively a hole in the ground, which is the perfect place for dangerous emissions to build up. This is especially true if you regularly service car trucks with a diesel engine. Therefore, you need to make sure you keep the atmosphere as safe as you can for your workers.
You can do this in several ways, including avoiding working on A/C systems, using lighting that is suitable for potentially flammable environments, and avoiding welding in the pit without local exhaust ventilation.
When working in a pit, your workers are at risk of objects falling from the vehicle above them, so you need to make sure that they have the right personal protective equipment to prevent injuries. This includes safety glasses, headgear, and ear protection.
If there is an accident in or around the pit, you need to ensure that your workers can quickly and easily get out of the pit. The simplest way to do this is by installing a set of slip-resistant steps with a handrail.
