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Advice & More August 2012

Ten Tips for a Safer Garage

By Bill Siuru

The best defense against CO poisoning is a good carbon monoxide alarm. Smoke detectors do NOT detect carbon monoxide. You need both or a detector that includes both functions. Buy a battery-powered that will work even during an electric power outage and replace the batteries periodically.

Retirement often means spending more time in the garage or workshop. Whether doing woodworking or restoring an old car, here are a few tips to make the time spent safer and healthier.

    1. Disposable gloves protect hands from caustic materials like paint strippers, etching acids, rust removers, epoxies, etc. Surgical gloves, found at most drug stores, are great because their thinness does not hinder dexterity -- surgeons use them for delicate operations. Leather gloves can prevent cuts and abrasion when handling metal, slivers from glass or wood, burns from hot items. acid burns from batteries, or hurt knuckles when wrenching a stubborn bolt.

 

    1. Use safety glasses or goggles whenever there is a risk of flying debris, which is any time you are using power tools, sanding or filing. Also wear them when working under a vehicle, under the hood of a running vehicle, or doing anything with batteries.

 

    1. Invest in a good pair of muff-like ear protectors and wear them whenever you use power tools and especially air tools which have a high-pitched wail. Alternatively, use small foam or putty-like ear plugs.

 

    1. Wear a disposable surgical mask whenever there is any chance of dust getting into your lungs. This is important because the particles from many materials like asbestos used in brake shoes and pads can be cancer-producing. You will need a respirator with charcoal filters when painting or around chemical fumes.

 

    1. A readily available fire extinguisher allows you to snuff out a small fire before it gets out of control. It has to be mounted where it can be reached instantly. Learn how to use it. Once a fire starts you won't have time to find the instructions and read them. Fire extinguishers have to be properly charged and ready for use, so check extinguishers periodically.

       

      When buying an extinguisher, make sure it is designed for any type of fire that could occur in your shop -- Class A (ordinary combustibles like wood and paper), Class B (flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, oil, etc.), Class C (electrical fires) and Class D (flammable metals like magnesium). Either purchase an extinguisher with multiple ratings (A-B, B-C, A-B-C) or purchase multiple extinguishers to handle the expected risks.

       

      Be particularly careful with flammable materials. If possible, do not store them in the same garage with valuable vehicles. If you must store them, make sure they are in sealed containers and as far away from the collector cars as possible.

 

    1. Smoke detectors provide sufficient warning to keep a minor fire from turning into a major conflagration. Make sure you can hear the alarm even when you are not in the shop or garage, which may require a more sophisticated alarm than the expensive battery-powered ones. Consider a security system that is professionally monitored or sends an alarm directly to the fire station, especially if you have a detached garage.

 

    1. Carbon monoxide is called the "Silent Killer" because is odorless, you can't feel it and it doesn't cause irritation. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness. Often you are unconscious or even dead before you’ve noticed the symptoms. The best defense against CO poisoning is a good carbon monoxide alarm. Smoke detectors do NOT detect carbon monoxide. You need both or a detector that includes both functions. Buy a battery-powered that will work even during an electric power outage and replace the batteries periodically.

 

    1. Have a first aid kit in the garage or workshop.

 

    1. Install a phone in your workshop so you can call for help. Slip a cell phone into your pocket so you can call for help no matter the situation.

 

  1. Buy extra gloves, ear protectors, and surgical masks for friends who might come to help or just watch.

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