About a year ago a friend of mine was going to make a quick repair under his wifes car so he jacked it up on a uneven surface and crawled under it, about a half hour later is son found him with the car sitting on his chest. He would have been 69 years old in a few months but he was done in by being lazy and not taking proper precautions.
Folks never get under any vehicle unless it is on a solid surface using jack stands and even then before you get under it shake, push, and try to pull it off of them. Better it fail without you under it.
The same goes with any heavy object you are working on, never place your arm under a engine that is supported by a lift, I have seen many engines fall. We all love our trucks but there is nothing on them that is worth losing a little finger over, not to mention you life. So keep it safe and enjoy.

 

make sure jacks and stands are properly rated for what you are holding also.

A while back, we got a page for a man trapped under a trash truck. He was replacing rear brakes and had the truck jacked up and both rear tires on one side off. While trying to get the drum off, it fell and amputated his arm. He had a couple bottle jacks which were fine, but his bad idea was using a handyman jack (like jeeps keep strapped to their hoods in case they get stuck in a parkinglot) to hold up the main weight of the truck. It folded in two like it was made out of plastic.

 

Thanks guys, you both make valid points.
Safety can never be taken for granted. All it takes is a split second to be critically injured or worse.

 

Maybe we could get a sticky started with PSA and safety reminders

 

never forget to wear your ppe's (personal protective equipment) when working on anything i always wear safety glasses or goggles. you only have two eyes and if they are gone we will never be able to enjoy these trucks.

 

Especially when using a wire wheel or grinding. I wear safety glasses and a uvex safety shield. First time you get a wire wheel wire stuck in your eyelid you'll think twice about safety equipment.

 

Jack stands. .. jack stands. .. jack stands. It makes me sick to see a vehicle parked in a driveway with a scissor jack holding it up and a bunch of concrete blocks or chunks of wood as a "brace". Invest in you life and get some jack stands that are designed to hold the weight of your vehicle.

And, use wheel chocks. Anytime you are under your vehicle, jacked up or not.

 

As a back up when you take the tire/rim off, put it under the axle, of course it all depends on your rig.

Eye protection is cheap, loosing an eye is not.

 

Ditto on the safety glasses. Also, I'd like to add hearing protection when working with noisy tools. Earplugs are cheap. When I think of all the years I've been exposed to noise, starting with being a drummer in the high school band, it's a wonder I can hear at all (I'm in my 50's now). All the concerts, drag races, all those years working in the airline industry around jets... jeez! My employer requires hearing and vision tests annually, and the technician told me during the last test, "You're hearing is fantastic." I guess I've been lucky. I ALWAYS wear earplugs (I get them free at work) even if it's just for a few seconds of hammering on something. I wear 'em on my riding lawnmower and in other situations where I'm continuously exposed to medium-volume noises. Remember, it's not just the volume that causes damage, but also the length of time you are exposed to the noise. I see my elderly parents watching TV with the volume way up, and every time they talk to each other, it's always, "Huh? What?" followed by some misunderstanding and confusion because neither knows what the other is talking about. I don't want to be like that when I'm an old fart.

 

Actually, I guess I already am an old fart!

 

A few days ago at my area junk yard, I saw a man out in the dirt parking lot up under his truck installing a part. The truck was only held up by a floor jack, and I couldn't believe it when I saw his wife sitting in the truck right over him! I told him how unsafe that was, but he didn't seem to understand or care what I was saying. I just shook my head and drove off.

David