Using the right safety equip... still kills! DOA Fresno.

A fireman friend called me today and told me about a guy getting crushed while working on his car here in Fresno Saturday afternoon... WITH jackstands in use. What????

Apparently he didn't account for all the rain we've had this past week and the jackstands ultimately sank, into what "was" once rock solid dirt, at an angle dropping the car on top of him (according to his neighbor who found him).

I bring this up 'cause it never hurts to jolt our memories to always check your safety equipment AND the surfaces we have them setting on.

I've seen quite a few non-garage/non-shop HAMB'ers of late on these threads and I caution you all to not become a statistic. Level and solid or move the vehicle.
If it is absolutely necessary to go under a vehicle on not-so-solid ground toss a spare tire under the frame as close to where you're working as a safety net. Please.

 

I ALWAYS use squares of plywood underneath unless on concrete.

 

Good reminder. Stuff happens in the blink of an eye.

 

I ALWAYS use squares of plywood underneath unless on concrete.

Me too. It's amazing just how soft my asphalt driveway gets in the hot sunlight. Just some chunks of three quarter inch ply works greart.

 

Sad loss...and yeah, the plywood thing also.

 

Those of you who have things like lathes in your shop should be wary of ever rolling up your sleeves. If you are hot, either wear a t-shirt or a sleeveless shirt. I've seen the results of some guy getting his shirt caught in a lathe and I wish I could get it out of my memory.

 

Leave the floor jack under the car even after the stands are in place.

 

I have about a 1/2 dozen squares of plywood next to my jack stands with "DO NOT THROW OUT" written in marker on them. I was witness to a car falling when stands sunk into asphalt on a hot summer day. The outcome was good in this case.

Bob

 

Been reading these..a lil common sense goes along way..May from having worked on most stuff out doors ,,wood or plates under teh jack stands,,but I have always also tossed a car wheel or nice size log under the car as well,,just in case,,plan A goes bad,, This is teh same reason they put those catches on lifes should the hyd. fail it only drops to the next level. Jack stand can tilt,,slide etc,,I have always been a fan of railroad tie size block,,yes you may not get as much height ,,but they are a much sturdier base

 

Safety threads are always welcome. Grim reminders.

 

It's a hazardous procedure when in progress to install/remove jackstands. There are short intervals of time after jacking, whilst inserting or removing, that things can go south.
In anticipation of soft ground, my on-board tool inventory includes wood blocks that increase the footprind size of the jack.

 

We all need reminded, basic safety measures are NOT about COOL or MACHO but about staying alive to enjoy this hobby. Everybody who didn't see the 12/5/09 thread, "Mechanic Gets Crushed by Car," PLEASE read it. A ton of HAMB brothers got on that one, and lots of 'em with sad stories.

 

Being a motorhome owner, I have some of those stabilizing pads for my levelers. Although, I have plenty of concrete surface to work on, I would use these if I was on grass/dirt. They are certified to 9000 lbs.

 

i remember on time i was pulling out a motor on a newer riviara.i had the motor supported with the cherrypicker and needed to get under the car to get an exhaust bolt off.i squezed under the car to get to the bolt.it took about 10 minutes to get it off.while i was under the car the cherrypicker bled down.next thing i knew the car was on my chest and i couldnt breath.i had my cell on me but it wouldnt get a signal from under the car.after a couple minutes with my hand out i finally got one and started screeming to my friend to come help.i cant believe he made it there in about 2 minutes.{he lived 10 miles away}.anyways i was very lucky and will never do something so stupid again.

 

Everyone who has replied to this post make good points and hopefully you follow through. It's the idiots out that than need to see the results of these events and the devastation they cause. My father-in-law is an old farmer and never braces anything up before getting under to do maintenance. My two sons help out whenever possible and I've caught them numerous times helping the old man out doing the same. Whenever I catch them I give them two options, either brace the equipment up or go in the house. Every time the old man gives me a dirty look and growls something about it not being necessary. I don't care, it's either my way or no way. Unfortunately, I can't be there all of the time when they're working. I made both of my boys take farm safety courses, which I attended with them, and have learned a lot. Whenever I see them working without supports I remind them one of the first lessons in the safety course was proper bracing. It's pretty difficult to instill this safety precaution when the old man who has all the experience blows it off.

Just from being around my father-in-law for the last 20+ years I can see why farmers get themselves in trouble. Either it will take a few extra minutes or it might cost them a couple of bucks to be safe but they don't want to do it. Every time I read about a farm injury I can usually see how a few minutes or a buck or two would have saved a life or limb, very stupid.

 

One bad habit i have is wearing hooded sweatshirts in my shop around machinery. The string from the hood could drop into a machine so easy, i'm aware of it and hold onto them but it'll take only once when i get distracted and you'll be reading about an industrial accident in the paper and i'll be having a bad day.
I wound up cutting the string off those sweatshirts.

 

Really glad to see you post on this thread, Mark.
You're the first one I thought of when I saw 'Fresno'.

Let's all be careful out there.

 

DAD OF THE YEAR right here folks. Willing to take shit from the f-i-l and he still does it for safety of kids. Good on you mister.

 

I do the same thing. I also like to leave the jack underneath the car just in case something goes wrong.

 

Bob, RE Post #15, speaking of farm accidents, many guys will remember Mark "The Bird" Fydrich who was Rookie of the year as a starter fo the Detroit Tigers (1976 to 1980).

He was only 52 when, working by himself, his clothes became entangle by a PTO. By the time a friend found him that morning, the Power Take Off shaft had doe him in.

My point is that machines can be friends, but when you misuse them, them don't really have any emotions. They are what we made them: machines. Somebody once said of the Piper Cub: "It has just enough power to kill you." Respect machines, always.

Mark Fydrich was a well-lover eccentric star baseball player with a personality that drew people to him. Alone on his farm near Boston, there was no one to hear him cry out for help.

 

Sorry for my speeling in the last post.

Other guys have made a GOOD point: Use just as much caution getting the car back DOWN as you did putting it UP!

 

+ umpteen on the plywood, I have a piece I even use under my floor jack because the cheap ashpalt in the driveway it sinks right in with a heavy truck on it.

 

maybe I'm just lucky in that everywhere I've lived over the last 25 years has had a nice flat cement area for when I need to get under a car. I'd never get under a car on dirt, but until now never really thought about the car sinking on hot asphalt.

learn something new here every day.

 

I had a friend years ago that that used a bumperjack to raise his car for working on it, with no supports. All it took was one time when the jack slid to one side while his hand was on the rocker panel, and his elbow on the ground. You could actually see his arm bend before breaking from the weight of the car. Sorry about being so graphic, but if I learned from this picture that is stuck in my mind. Maybe someone else will...John

 

So true. I got my shirtails caught in the lead screw - just once. Valuable lesson learned.

 

You can never be too careful - years ago I recall a newspaper story (before the internet) about a guy being crushed by his car - he actually DID use jackstands on concrete - the concrete gave way - aparentlyit had a pretty big void under it and just caved in. I also leave the jack in place and will even toss a tire under there - unfortunately the tire was more usefull when I was younger and thinner !

 

I now have all of my jackstands with a mostly solid pad underneath them. Most of my stands already have this feature, but I've welded 1/8th inch plates to the bottom the remaining cheapy stands so I don't have to worry about finding my "don't throw away" blocks that someone seemingly always needs worse than I do. Just thought I'd add my $.02

 

Just get wider wheels

 

And this true story that was told to me...........A guy was working on his car,set the brake,somewhat steep driveway.The car started to creep down hill.Without a thought he ran in front of car to stop it from rolling.The car kepp rolling,he got trapped,car rolled into the garage or a tree,he was crushed dead just like that.

 

Thanks for thinking about me Lance.....big hugs for you.