Summer can be a very busy time for auto repair and auto body shops. Customers will be flocking into the shop to prepare their cars for travel. Auto body customers will be bringing in their summer show cars for repainting and repair. With all this chaos, it can be very easy to overlook safety hazards. Summer can be a very dangerous time due to the heat so today we will be going over common summer auto shop safety hazards.

The number one hazard of working in the hot weather would be heat related illnesses. This can be dehydration, heat stroke,or heat exhaustion. Thankfully all 3 of these are avoidable with careful planning and resources. Dehydration can be avoided by making cool liquids available to your staff whenever they're working. This can be water or sports drinks such as Gatorade. Workers can be particularly vulnerable to dehydration on hot and humid days when work causes them to sweat more. 

Heat Exhaustion can occur when the body responds to the loss of salt and water through sweating. (See symptoms below)

• Excessive sweating
• Weakness or fatigue
• Dizziness and/or confusion
• Clammy skin
• Muscle cramps
• Flushed complexion

If one of your employees is suffering heat stroke, be sure to get them to cool area immediately. Give them something cold to drink and if symptoms don't dissipate, seek medical attention.

Heat Stroke can be very serious and occurs when a person's body temperature rises above 104 degrees. (See symptoms below)

• Red dry skin
• Headache 
• Dizziness

If you suspect your employee has heat stroke, call 911 immediately and get the person to a shaded area. Have them sip cool liquids while waiting for help to arrive. 

There are steps you can take to avoid heat related illnesses. The best thing you can do is install AC in your shop, but often this is not an option. If you do not have the AC, purchase some larger fans to keep air moving. Make sure employees are taking regular breaks and drinking fluids. Purchase them a summer uniform that is lightweight and light colored so they stay cooler.