A lesson for those of us who work on our cars

[stratovani]

A local firefighter died when he was working on a fire truck and the floor jack slipped. The article doesn't state whether or not he was under the vehicle when the accident happened, but I have to assume that he was. No mention of axle stands or chock blocks either. This is a lesson I take to heart, and a reminder for those of us who do work on our cars, especially if you have to go under your vehicle - never forget the axle stands, and chock the wheels with chock blocks to prevent the car accidently slipping.

Salisbury firefighter laid to rest - BostonHerald.com

[TJ55]

+1 on this PSA. Safety first. Scary thing cuz I personally know of people who met an early demise exactly this way.

[Relic]

another +1 from me. I had an acquaintance who died in the exact same way.

[Bloodhammer]

I don't know anyone who died this way, but I could have when the scissor-jack holding up a Grand Cherokee bent sideways and broke. The truck pinned me under the fuel tank and I gave myself hellish road-rash squeezing myself out. (I panicked )

Why was I under the vehicle during a tire change, you ask? Because I was used to pickup trucks (I was 17 at the time) and was looking for the spare wheel (or mechanism to lower it, had it been there) just as my friend pulled the flat one off. That one little shake of the chassis snapped the jack like a twig. The brake rotor is what saved my life.

Never again!

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by stratovani

A local firefighter died when he was working on a fire truck and the floor jack slipped. The article doesn't state whether or not he was under the vehicle when the accident happened, but I have to assume that he was. No mention of axle stands or chock blocks either. This is a lesson I take to heart, and a reminder for those of us who do work on our cars, especially if you have to go under your vehicle - never forget the axle stands, and chock the wheels with chock blocks to prevent the car accidently slipping.

Salisbury firefighter laid to rest - BostonHerald.com

If the car's on axle stands, where do you put the chocks?

[Bloodhammer]

Usually, you only need stands for the front axle. You put the chocks behind the back wheels.

[Funky Ghost]

Also having a friend that understands basic English helping you (Marc, I'm looking at YOU!) is nice. Let's say, Hypothetically, you're trying to make sure your magneto on your pro street 65 dart is installed and working correctly, and lets say, hypothetically you ask your "friend" ( MARC ) if the key is off to which he replies, in English, "yes". Now let's go a step further and say you bump start the car with a remote starter only to have the engine fire and you get the living piss shocked out of you as you complete the circuit from the top of the magneto to the hood, with your head, which causes a bit of smoke, and pain ... and cussing.

That would suck.

[hbarcat]

I'm surprised it was a firefighter who died this way. Nearly all the firefighters I know are compulsive about safety.

There are also lots of ways to die working in your garage besides being pinned underneath a vehicle. I know someone who died while painting his car after he apparently took off his respirator for "just a moment" in order to reach the farthest corner at the limit of his air hose. Only a breath or two of automotive paint will knock you unconscious and breathing it for any more than a few seconds causes CNS failure and death.

Add to that the risk of fire or explosion from gasoline fumes, electric shock or other injury from high power tools, heavy things falling on top of you, getting clothing caught in moving engine accessory belts, carbon monoxide buildup, etc.. These things all happen way more often that most people realize.

[Johnny Crab]

A car on a jack is like a loaded gun on safety, NEVER trust it.
Sad loss, jack stands are cheap.

PS: On our 1985 pickup the spare gets removed before jacking.

[Pilgrim]

Amen on the jack stands. I've been using them for many, many years.

The closest I've had to a bad problem was when I had one corner of my '66 GTO up on a bumper jack inside a garage with a well-polished concrete floor. I was changing the RR tire, and the whole car started to s-l-o-w-l-y go sideways - the LR tire was actually sliding on the concrete. I was able to push against the fender and stop the slide, while I hollered for help. My dad came running and just lowered the bumper jack.

Bumper jacks aren't used much anymore, and that's fine with me. They're even less dependable than scissors jacks.

If in an emergency, the best workaround is to pull the spare out and slide it under the side of the car so that it can't fall all the way to the ground. I have even done that when I had a car on jackstands but the surface under the jackstands seemed questionable.

I keep foot-long sections of 2x12 in my garage to sit under jackstands. It helps elevate the car a bit and adds safety if I have to use jackstands in my asphalt surface driveway. Even on a hot day, they can't sink in or tip when they're sitting on a big piece of 2x12.

[Mike N]

Originally Posted by Johnny Crab

.

PS: On our 1985 pickup the spare gets removed before jacking.

This is just plain common sense, which seems to be quite rare these days.

[Bloodhammer]

Originally Posted by Johnny Crab

PS: On our 1985 pickup the spare gets removed before jacking.

That's the way I've always done it, but I was helping the guy and he had it jacked before I intervened.
Beware of carjacks, heavy tools, noxious gases, and especially other people!

[tplyons]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I keep foot-long sections of 2x12 in my garage to sit under jackstands. It helps elevate the car a bit and adds safety if I have to use jackstands in my asphalt surface driveway. Even on a hot day, they can't sink in or tip when they're sitting on a big piece of 2x12.

+1 on the 2x12. Had some 5/4 x 10 I use for this.

Sad story about the firefighter, a sad reminder about things that could happen to any of us.

[Downunderwonder]

Local guy got squidged dead by his Camaro and it was on axle stands. He was no dummy and very safety conscious, so be extra careful!

[Linas]

Very sad. I have been working on my car recently and this is a sobering reminder to be extra careful. I always use jack stands, but adding blocks to prevent sliding will be something I will start doing.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Bumper jacks aren't used much anymore, and that's fine with me. They're even less dependable than scissors jacks.

Amen. I recently bought an older Chevy G20 van and I noticed it came with a bumper jack. First thing I did was throw it away and replace it with a mini hydraulic floor jack and some wood blocks.

[P. Aaron]

I am the type that let's the mechanic do auto repairs that require a lift. I pay dearly for it but, it beats being gooshed by the car.

[Mike N]

Originally Posted by P. Aaron

I am the type that let's the mechanic do auto repairs that require a lift. I pay dearly for it but, it beats being gooshed by the car.

You can be hurt by a lift as well........ I've seen them with broken safety latches and it isn't pretty when one comes crashing down.

[stratovani]

Originally Posted by P. Aaron

I am the type that let's the mechanic do auto repairs that require a lift. I pay dearly for it but, it beats being gooshed by the car.

That's pretty sensible. I'd do the same thing myself if I could afford it.