Chapter 06: Introduction

1.1. Introduction

Introduction

Mechanics in general have above-average death and injury rates compared to all other professions, according to U.S. labor statistics. The importance of identifying potential workplace hazards, and rigorously adopting safety practices to control or avoid hazards, is a matter of life and death. This learning curve is particularly steep for novice workers in an industry where they are reported to be three times more likely to be injured in their first year on the job. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a disproportionate one-third share of nonfatal occupational injuries involving lost work time was encountered by workers with less than 1 year of service. This data, generalized across all occupations, does not capture the increased likelihood of death and injury to apprentices or new workers in skilled trades exposed to many more work hazards involved in servicing heavy vehicles. These threats should not overshadow the value of the work or job satisfaction from careers working in shops maintaining and servicing medium-duty (MD) and HD commercial vehicles. Behind these grim statistics are stories of injuries and accidents that were avoidable with proper training, supervision, correct use of PPE, and personal awareness. Compared to many other workplaces, working in a commercial vehicle repair facility requires greater vigilance and adoption of a larger number of work practices to prevent unique safety hazards from causing life-threatening events. With increased job experience, the likelihood of injury from risks associated with workplace hazards sharply declines.

There are work practices that apply specifically to engine work to prevent injuries to technicians and to protect customers’ vehicles and equipment, including practices that enhance the durability and effectiveness of service work. Many of these engine-specific work habits fall under the topic of clean care practices that are performed to prevent contaminant entry (during service work) into the engine and fuel systems resulting in premature failure and excessive wear Figure 1. Servicing hybrid and battery electric vehicles presents relatively new hazards in the workplace. With almost no moving parts, the powertrains of high-voltage propulsion systems store large amounts of electrical energy in batteries or generate it through traction motors and have few visible or audible warnings of potential danger. As the number of these vehicles increases, technicians need to quickly become very familiar with safe work practices associated with the presence of these vehicles in the shop. To help technicians develop the skills related to safety and workplace practices associated with engine service and maintenance in commercial vehicles, this chapter surveys important safety-related topics. This chapter supplements other safety information covered in more detail in Fundamentals of Medium/Heavy Duty Commercial Vehicle Systems, Second Edition.

FIGURE 06-1: A rebuilt transit bus engine ready for installation. Note the clean shop floor and the sealing of lines and hoses to prevent the entry of contaminants.