Ergonomic best practices for: auto and truck repair
Motor vehicle repair can be hard on your hands, shoulders, neck, and back. Whenever possible, take steps to reduce risk factors such as frequent or sustained tasks, forceful exertions, awkward positions, and cold environments. Breaking up the work or letting the tools carry the load reduces the likelihood of a cumulative trauma injury.
Best practices for tools include:
- Mechanized drivers
- Handles that can be held with a power grip and neutral wrist posture. Avoid pinch grips for forceful activities. As a general rule, handles should be longer than 4 inches and about 1½ inches in diameter.
- Inline and pistol grips to allow for neutral wrist posture for various work surface orientations
- Anti-vibration gloves for use with vibrating or impact tools
- Ratcheting tools. When space allows, consider options for T-bars on tools requiring leverage or use of two hands.
- Tool belts, counter-balancers, holsters
- The right tool for the job
Good work practices include:
- Warming up before beginning work or certain tasks
- Breaking up work that includes awkward, forceful, frequent, or sustained movements
- Using lift aids, carts, cranes, and dollies for heavier items and materials
- Keeping frequently used items within reach
- Using larger muscle groups for more forceful activities
- Keeping elbows at the side and wrists in neutral posture
- Avoiding prolonged gripping
- Using anti-fatigue floor mats
For more on this topic, visit saif.com/truckingsafety.