Reducing service pit risks for your workshop
Levanta’s consultants, along with our design & fabrication team, have looked through the Australian Standards and consulted with Safety Inspectors nationally to try to come up with an acceptable advice article, as there is nothing in OHS legislation that specifies the requirements for lighting, power, extraction or other safety measures in a pit. That’s why it’s necessary that you ensure a risk assessment is carried out for your business.
It is however important to note the Act and Regulations which form law:
Reference can be made to Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 – Sect 19 for unguarded vehicle pits and safe systems of work and REG 3.11 for signage and warnings for falls into the pit.
Under the Act, employers have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment.
Carrying out a risk assessment for your business
It is recommended that a risk assessment is carried out to determine the most appropriate measures to reduce any risks present from carrying out work in the service pit.
It is necessary to understand that a Risk Assessment is based on determining the worst possible case.
Factors that need to be considered:
- Install signs restricting access to work area or create an inducted area
- Consider mechanical ventilation
- Check that vehicle placement leaves room to exit out of the pit in an emergency
- Check availability of vehicle chocks
- Consider Class 1 Zone 2 lighting
- Consider using pneumatic powered tooling only, rather than electrical power tools that may create an ignition source
- Restrict fuel pump/ fuel line work to areas that are clear of pit area
- Consider pit cover system
- Create an inducted area
- Consider conducting soil testing to investigate the presence of noxious or dangerous gases that could leech through pit walls
The key hazards for working in and around vehicle service pits include but are not limited to:
- Slips, trips and falls
- Asphyxiation
- Explosion or fire
- Damage to plant or property
A valid risk assessment should always be filed and available on demand from an inspector or similar authority.
Get Levanta’s guide to workshop pit design, specification and standards
In this free guide the Levanta team discuss the factors that should be considered in a risk assessment at your business reduce any risks present from carrying out work in a service pit.
We look at the key hazards for working in and around vehicle service pits and look at areas for risk reduction in your workshop.
Contact Levanta for more information about service pits
To find out more about risk assessments for service pits, get in touch with Levanta today.
All advice given is general in nature. This article should be treated as a useful guide only. You will need to carry out your own due diligence on the suitability of the solution for your specific site and operational demands.
To find out more, contact Levanta’s workshop team on 1300 577 541 or get in touch online to find out more about service pits for your vehicle workshop.
