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Automotive service shops and fleet operations that install a vehicle service pit instead of a lift may cite safety reasons for their decision. If the lift’s weight capacity is exceeded, if the lift is unstable, or if the vehicle is improperly secured, there is a potentially catastrophic risk of accident and injury. An untrained or unqualified operator heightens the danger.
A service pit offers simplicity, a place to store tools, and other worker comfort and productivity benefits. Yet, an open pit presents a fall hazard that can also lead to harm. Operators must ensure that the pit is appropriately protected when a vehicle is not being serviced.
Guardrail sets, or a demarcation system of uprights with connecting cables and high-visibility flags can help prevent workers from falling into the open pit. Although these barriers are tried-and-true fall protection systems, they have disadvantages for open pits.
An overhead track system makes perfect sense for cleaning and servicing buses, trucks, trailers, and other large vehicles from above. Using lifeline systems with tie-off anchor points to keep workers from falling into an open pit is overengineering. Lifelines must be inspected and worn correctly, and workers and supervisors should be trained.
Yes, but unfortunately, ad hoc solutions such as plywood boards or metal sheets are often used as pit covers. This approach should be avoided. The boards or sheets are not secured and may not support the weight of one person—let alone a vehicle that goes off track and runs over them.
Constantly placing and removing the boards is a nuisance, and workers should wear gloves to help avoid splinters or cuts. Extra storage space is needed, and a fall hazard is present when the boards are taken away.
Safety nets are sometimes used to pit safety cover. However, they are not rigid, so workers cannot walk over the pit.
Protect your workers with a retractable pit safety cover made from strong yet lightweight aluminum. Available in various lengths and widths, the adjustable pit cover system is easy to install, deploy, and maintain. Each bar can be set at a different width to accommodate a pit that is uneven along its sides. Location pins and spring-loaded positioning pins help keep the system in place.
When no vehicle is in service, the pit is guarded and will withstand the weight of workers stepping onto the pit cover. To access the pit, a worker pushes the cover while descending. A vehicle can then move into place for service.
Whether open for worker access or closed when a vehicle is not in service, there is no need for cumbersome and time-consuming removal and placement of railings, boards, etc., and no need to take up storage space. A busy, high-traffic vehicle service area can operate more productively and safely.
An open pit is a fall hazard at a construction site—where a worker recently fell and was injured—in manufacturing and processing plants and vehicle service facilities. In all cases, fall protection is needed and usually required.
Covers for vehicle service pits provide the most practical and effective way to protect workers and contribute to a more efficient and productive working environment. Contact us for the complete ins and outs of a pit safety cover and a full hazard assessment.
As workplace safety experts we perform critical analysis inside your facility to identify the hazards where your workers are exposed to the greatest risk. This analysis ensures that the most dangerous areas are protected immediately with proven solutions that meet recognized standards and regulations.