Auto wreckers are not places people go to have fun.
If you are there, it is either because you want to sell your junk vehicle, or because you want to buy auto parts.
Generally, the biggest threats to personal safety at a work site are carelessness and playfulness. Since you are at an auto wrecker for business, you are unlikely to engage in horseplay. However, such is the condition at auto wreckers that there is need for extra care.
You see, auto wreckers are very waste intensive, and the nature of their waste is a cause for concern. Click here to learn more about how junkyards work [7], and the type of metals you’re likely to find there. Metallic objects are very dangerous if mishandled, and you will always find sharp and heavy metal objects on the floor at an auto wrecker. There will be nails of different sizes, screws of varying lengths, broken glass, and so on. Then we have the equipment that all auto wreckers need for their operations, lots of heavy machinery. A combination of all these and a seller enthusiastic about a big score could spell trouble.
For a start, be extra-careful when at an auto wrecker. There are too many things that can injure you, and even worse, there are lots of things there that can also send you to the hospital for an extended time. On top of being careful, protect yourself by going with the following safety items;
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Appropriate Footwear
At an auto wrecker, there are a long list of things that could hurt one’s feet. You could step on broken glass, you could step on nails, or screws. Your feet could be crushed, or hit by something heavy. To prevent bleeding, or needing a tetanus shot, or getting one (or many) of your toes crushed, wear work boots. If you can find work boots with steels toes, even better.
Conveniently enough, work boots are not too different from other boots, so it is not something you have to carry along specially. Just change to work boots when you are about to visit an auto wrecker, and when you get back home, you can take them off.
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Safety Gloves
In a general sense, the hands are very important parts of the body. With respect to auto wreckers, the hands are important still, maybe even more so. You can go to an auto wrecker and say you don’t want to do anything at all, but you can escape the use of your hands, it is nearly impossible to do so. You have to pick something up, to sift through some other things and so on. The ways your hands could be hurt are almost too many to list. As a result, it is very important that your hands are protected whenever you visit an auto wrecker.
Asides protecting your hands from nails, sharp metals, and broken glass, gloves also help keep your hands free from dirt. Do not go to an auto wrecker without safety gloves.
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Safety Goggles
With metals all around, safety goggles are a must-have. While it is highly unlikely that you will look on and let something get in your eyes, freak accidents have been known to happen. If something happens to your eyes at an auto wrecker, all other parts of your body are put in immediate danger. There are so many potential hazards around, you cannot afford to lose your sight, even for a short time.
Luckily for you, there are many cool-looking safety goggles out there, you can protect your eyes, and still look good.
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Helmets
Without doubt, the head is the most important part of the body, a part you cannot afford to lose when at an auto wrecker. No, I didn’t mean that figuratively, although it will be nice if you can keep your head literally and figuratively. On a more serious note, you cannot afford to let your head get hit while at an auto wrecker. There are so many heavy tools and metals around, it could be fatal.
Also, your head is home to very important organs, you could sustain an injury that will prove costly. Always wear a helmet when you are at the auto wrecker’s. Yes, a hard hat will do if you’re visiting, but for people who actually work at auto wreckers, only a helmet will do.
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Miscellaneous
There are some other items that you can take along to an auto wrecker, but safety-conscious auto wreckers should have most of them. If they do not, and you are a stickler for safety, you can go along with a first-aid kit. Make sure it is filled with all the items you are likely to need; an emergency ice pack, alcohol wipes, gauze, tweezers, Band-Aids etc.
