Introduction
Automotive repair professionals,
who work on every brand and
model of vehicle imaginable,
have to raise these vehicles off
the ground to perform some type
of repair or service on them.
• for example, sometimes motors need to be
lifted out or the vehicle raised and the
motor dropped.
• In some respects, these technicians are
working much like a tightrope walker
without a net; it only takes one slip, just
one mistake for them to be in big trouble!
4 Post lift in a Body shop
• How to Lift a Vehicle
•
• There are several ways a vehicle can be
raised off of the ground, but the two most
common methods are:
• Full car lifts
• Floor jacks
• When you think about the tremendous
weight of a motor vehicle, it makes sense
to use every safety precaution available
when lifting it off the ground to work on it.
The best lift is the kind that lifts the full
weight of the car and one that has a
second form of slip prevention as a double
safeguard.
• Over the last century, hundreds of people
have died or been severely injured from
improperly lifting or securing vehicles
during the repair process.
• What's even more unfortunate is that it's
likely many of these deaths and injuries
could have been avoided if the individuals
would have had proper training on the
equipment they were using
• Not only are there all kinds of ways to hurt
yourself using lifts, there are all kinds of
ways to damage the vehicle as well.
• Clearly, training is critical to both employee
safety and job security. No service
manager, shop manager or owner wants
employees to get hurt; nor do they want a
vehicle to be damaged because of poor
training issues.
• Neglecting proper lift and jack safety is a
sure way to either be seriously injured or
dismissed from a job. Neither is a very
inviting prospect!
Know Your Equipment
• The basic safety recommendations and
weight ratings can be found in writing on
most equipment.
• If the labeling is not legible or has become
dirty over time, most manufacturers are
happy to provide new labels at no cost
• Most lift providers have safety information
on specific tools and equipment on their
Web site as wel
Specific Information for Your
Area
Summary
• The rules of safety for using equipment to
lift vehicles are clear-cut:
• Don't be afraid to ask for help if you don't
know where to place a jack on a vehicle
• If you ever have any trouble lifting a car or
have any questions about techniques or
safety, please ask your
manager/supervisor for help
• Following these rules will help keep both
you and the vehicles you work on from
harm.
Read This Before Proceeding
• The Mechanical Safety Lifts Quiz has 10
questions and you must get a score of
80% to pass this quiz.
Quiz
• 1. In a pinch, a pile of bricks or water pipes can be used in place of
jack stands when using hydraulic jacks.
A) True B) False
• 2. There are several ways a vehicle can be raised off of the ground,
but the two most common methods are full car lifts and floor jacks.
A) True B) False
• 3. When conducting work under an automobile, you should wear
your safety glasses when there is flying debris involved.
A) True B) False 4.
• There are other types of lifting and jacking devices used in
automotive repair facilities, such as engine lifts and transmission
jacks and the same safety rules apply to these.
A) True B) False
• 5. Hydraulic jacks can be used up to 100 pounds beyond
their weight limits.
A) True B) False
• 6. The number one mistake made by entry-level
technicians or amateur do-it-yourselfers is getting
underneath a raised vehicle held up by a floor jack
without first putting a jack stand(s) underneath.
A) True B) False 7. There are several ways a vehicle can
be raised off of the ground, but the two most common
methods are full car lifts and floor jacks.
A) True B) False
Quiz
• 8. In a pinch, a pile of bricks or water pipes can be used
in place of jack stands when using hydraulic jacks.
A) True B) False
• 9. Which of the following is a good area to place a jack
on an automobile?
A) Floor pan B) Jacking Point C) Crankshaft pulley and
drive shaft D) Steering arm
• 10. Jacks and lifts can be all of the following, EXCEPT:
A) Hydraulic B) Counter-weighted C) Electric D) Air and
hydraulic