Safety should be the number one priority for a car mechanic. One would think that all mechanics have many years of experience of safe working practices they could employ to prevent accidents. It is surprising then, to find that many people get injured each day by collapsing cars in a garage, and this is due to not using specialist tools.
Jack stands are the primary tools for preventing collapsing cars. Placed under jack points, stands can fully support an automobile, preventing it from slipping. Note that they are not 100% foolproof however, so it is advised to use multiple sets of stands if possible. In this way, should a car collapse, the stands will each share the load over a larger area. This should stop accidents from incorrectly placed jacks.
Jacks stands are available from any car retailer today at cheap prices, so there really is no reason for not using them. Some car enthusiasts insist that using a stand is tricky and they take too long to set up. So they take shortcuts, like attempting to balance the full load of one vehicle on a single jack stand – a foolish pursuit. These people should see the injuries that some people sustain when they are crushed by a collapsing vehicle – it’s not pretty!
One tool that can help those pushed for time is a hydraulic jack stand, which is becoming more and more utilized in garages today. A hydraulic stand prevents a vehicle from falling should the lift post or power cut out, and it also offers a very quick and easy way to jack up a car.
However, the use of multiple jack stands is just as effective, so there is no need for everyone to run out and buy one just yet.
Car mechanics should always think of safety first when repairing a vehicle. The use of multiple jack stands is a great belt and braces approach to garage safety. An alternative, but more costly option is a hydraulic stand. While it is natural to try and get things finished as fast as possible, not considering the use of these tools can have potentially fatal consequences.
