If you operate an auto body shop and question the importance of having a comprehensive Altamonte Auto Body Workers’ Comp policy, consider this fact from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration: Workers’ compensation claims concerning auto body and related repairers are increasing at a higher rate than many other industries. However, there is a silver lining. Most claims result from injuries that are completely preventable with proper training and precautions.
Common Types of Auto Shop Injury
Auto shop employees are most prone to eye, finger, and back injuries. Most eye and finger injuries tend to be fairly minor and involve cuts and scratches. Back injuries, however, tend to be more serious and more costly. The most serious back injuries lead to extended time away from work.
Promote Workplace Safety Measures to Minimize Injury
The first step in reducing on-the-job injuries is to discuss safety with your employees and involve them in creating a safety program for your facility. Seeking employee input and advice when implementing any new program significantly increases the likelihood they’ll comply. Make sure your team knows that any new safety procedures are designed with one goal in mind: to protect them. Here are some measures you can implement quickly and easily to minimize the most common injuries:
- Require employees to wear protective eye wear whenever they’re on the shop floor (allow them to choose the style they’re most comfortable with);
- Keep a supply of protective work gloves in plain sight and encourage employees to wear gloves when working with metal and glass;
- Require employees to use jacks and lifts for heavy parts;
- Keep heavy tools and parts stored off the ground, preferably on rolling carts and dollies, so employees don’t need to bend to pick them up or move them; and
- Purchase protective padding that employees can place over vehicles’ fenders or bodies so they can lean on the vehicle as they work.
Reducing injury in auto shops can be achieved by implementing common-sense measures. Instill a culture of safety at your shop, and hold your employees accountable for using the tools and procedures designed to keep them safe. Over time, it will become second nature.
Even in shops with effective safety programs, on-the-job injuries and accidents can happen at any time. Contact us at Newman Crane & Associates Insurance, (407) 859-3691. We will make sure your worker’s compensation insurance is sufficient to cover any claims that arise.