Be careful Folks working on cars

Hotwheels

Any of ye doing DIY servicing, do please be careful, heard this on the news this morning. dreadful shock for this man's family....

Belfast Telegraph

Man dies after car collapses on him in Cork

Wednesday, 14 October 2009


A 45-year-old man has died following an accident on a farmyard in the Douglas area of Cork yesterday evening.

The man was working on a car at around 5pm when the vehicle collapsed on top of him.

He sustained serious injuries and was pronounced dead.

Gardai say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Stevie Dakota

So true, I wouldn't go near the underside of a car without wheel chocks, axle stands and an hydraulic jack. Just imagine being found by a family member.

Hal1

That's very sad indeed. I don't trust axle stands alone, I would have to have the jack up on the car just in case.

Yakult

wouldnt go under a car personally unless its on a lift or pit. Always have that fear in the back of my head.

JoeySully

Yeah its dangerous under there

this can happen


Concrete Block are also a big NO NO - they can Crack.

hydraulics can FAIL !!

I find the best option is one of these

biko

If you are changing a wheel prop the old wheel under the nearest side door in case the jack gives in/falls over.
Not only will it save your foot/leg but also the brake disc.

unkel

There's probably a lot more DIY maintenance going on given the times we are in. That's fine, but be careful folks. Saving a bit of money is not worth risking your life for. If you can't do it 100% safely, bring it to a pro.

the merchant

I'm guilty of this, especially if it'a a quick job. I often jack it up with the trolley jack and jump under to drain the sump or whatever. Think I better change my ways.

Plug

I'd use axel stands only with the jack and I do be still paranoid. A lad there not so long ago in kilkenny had a truck up on timper, it gave way and he got crushed. He's dead.

I saw another clown around my estate changing an exhuast pipe up 2 crappy jacks that come in the spare wheel well:rolleyes: Asking for trouble

Voodoomelon

I learnt my lesson a few months back, I was under the car with 2 axle stands under the front jack points and both front wheels removed.

I glanced over at one of the stands and the safety clip that stops the main blocking pin from falling out wasn't inserted and the pin was hanging out with only a couple of millimeters holding the upper part of the stand in place.

My eyes went as large as dishes and I shot out from under the car like a scalded cat. Ever since I make sure the safety clips are in and I glance over at the stands every few minutes out of habit.

Very sad story above ^^.

Hellrazer

Magnus wrote: »

If you are changing a wheel prop the old wheel under the nearest side door in case the jack gives in/falls over.
Not only will it save your foot/leg but also the brake disc.

Oldschool but thats the way I was thought aswell.Or leave the wheel that youve taken off directly under the brake disc.
Sad story about the bloke in Cork.

Landyaddict

Too many accidents like this happening at present.
from this sad story to the guy whos car ran him over.

I was always taught,during my time as an apprentice, to have a backup plan "just in case"
As already mentioned, i put the spare wheel under the car as well as my stands, wheel chock and the hydralic jack still in place.

Don't even get me started about pits and two and four poster lifts.
I could tell you a few horrors about them too.

Sad news on this.

Landy

I wouldn't go under a car on a jack under any circumstances. I drive the front wheels up on blocks when I'm servicing the car, obviously using bits of timber to make the transition from the ground on to the blocks less severe. I feel a lot safer like this than I would under a hydraulic ramp or using axel stands but obviously its no good if you have to work on something which involves removing the front wheels.



Its never good to hear stories like this.

gofaster_s13

Samantha Substantial Cat wrote: »

I wouldn't go under a car on a jack under any circumstances. I drive the front wheels up on blocks when I'm servicing the car,

I hope you mean blocks of timber and not concrete blocks as concrete blocks have been known to fracture or crush when supporting vehicles, one of the first things apprentices are taught in FAS is never under any circumstances use concrete blocks to support the weight of a vehicle.

run_Forrest_run

A terrible accident, sympathies to his family.

I use axel stands myself when removing the sump nut but even as I do that I'm never under the car, I can reach the sump from the front, at arms reach luckily.

SV

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

I hope you mean blocks of timber and not concrete blocks as concrete blocks have been known to fracture or crush when supporting vehicles, one of the first things apprentices are taught in FAS is never under any circumstances use concrete blocks to support the weight of a vehicle.

+1

We learnt this whilst changing the tire on a jeep.
The jack supplied was capable of supporting the weight but not big enough to lift the jeep.
So we got a block(http://www.osha.gov/dep/industry_profiles/profile_images/p_profile-327-1.jpg like that except no holes) and placed the jack on that and tried to work that way..got it up and took the tire off.
Second we did that the entire thing crushed and we were left with a broken brake disc and very lucky that none of us were underneath it!


Very sad story about this guy..RIP

congo_90

Was changing the brakes on a car about a year ago using just a jack and had the wheel under the door too (oldschool). the jack was a bit fumbly and I was a bit worried because I wanted to check the exhaust for a suspected hole. Move away from the car to ring a friend and *hiss, Bang* jack had lowered onto the wheel!
If I can i like to have someone nearby incase. I have since learnt my lesson and now have a better jack, Axle stands, Blocks and choks for the wheels

Hotwheels

congo_90 wrote: »

Was changing the brakes on a car about a year ago using just a jack and had the wheel under the door too (oldschool). the jack was a bit fumbly and I was a bit worried because I wanted to check the exhaust for a suspected hole. Move away from the car to ring a friend and *hiss, Bang* jack had lowered onto the wheel!
If I can i like to have someone nearby incase. I have since learnt my lesson and now have a better jack, Axle stands, Blocks and choks for the wheels

Spot on, anyone working under a car should have a spotter keeping an eye on things.

As my auld fella used to say " A Machine is watching you all the time, make a mistake, and it'll be costly "

Don't skimp on the safety equipment...

rebel.ranter

This happened less than 2 mins from me. Sad event.

gofaster_s13

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

I hope you mean blocks of timber and not concrete blocks as concrete blocks have been known to fracture or crush when supporting vehicles, one of the first things apprentices are taught in FAS is never under any circumstances use concrete blocks to support the weight of a vehicle.

No I use concrete blocks with timer on top for more height. I would imagine you are thinking of fracturing a putting the block under the jack point which would make sense as all the pressure is on a very small area, I actually drive the wheels onto the blocks so the weight is spread across the blocks.

I have used blocks for supporting things much heaver than cars like under the draw bar of fully loaded trailers with big weight on board and to get more height for the jack when changing wheels on tractors and never even damaged them so I feel confident enough using them for the car.

cascade35

I have a habit of always trying to rock a car once i have it jacked up and sitting on axel stands, just to be sure its stable.
I always chock the wheels that are not raised off the ground and always leave the jack under there as well for extra stability.

That is a real sad incident, brings it home to all of us the dangers involved in carrying out diy repairs at home.

May he rest in peace.

i would never get under a car using anything i setup myself.. way too wary off this sort of thing.

Senna

I done a oil change on monday, had the car on 2 axle stands, one hydraulic jack supporting the front (and i had the standard jack in place too).
I still never feel fully safe and spend as little time under the car as possible.
I hate being under a car, unless its a 2/4 post car lift.

The axle stands are about 20 years old and weight a ton, but i still trust them more than any of the newer one. The brother came home with ones that are on 3 support legs (no metal base) that say "3 ton weight", but i wouldn't lift a bicycle with one of them.