Automotive lift safety requirements.
Every day your technicians entrust their lives and limbs to the automotive lifts in your service department and it’s the responsibility of both ownership and management to ensure the equipment their employees are using has been properly installed, is regularly inspected and properly serviced.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021 there were 152 vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers and repairers killed on the job1. Such incidents can also cause serious injuries and business interruptions, not to mention tens of thousands of dollars in physical damage to customers’ vehicles and dealership equipment.
The following are some examples of steps that dealerships can take to operate, inspect, and maintain automotive lifts to help ensure the safety of their employees2:
- Safe operation – this starts with making sure technicians are properly trained on how to operate the automotive lifts they are using and locating the proper jack points on vehicles they’ll be servicing by referencing the vehicle manufacturers’ instructions or other safety guidelines, such as the American Lift Institute’s Quick Reference Guide3. Just bear in mind that all trainings on proper lift operation, whether completed once or periodically, should be properly documented.
- Inspection – each technician should complete a daily inspection of the lifts they operate and report any potential issues to their supervisor immediately. It is also recommended that dealerships institute a periodic inspection process and an annual inspection by a certified lift inspector, and that all these inspections be properly documented.
- Maintenance – as with any mechanical device, periodic maintenance as prescribed by the manufacturer of the lift should be performed to help ensure safe and secure operation. Any maintenance or repair services should be completed by a trained automotive lift technician, and it’s a good idea to keep detailed records for the duration of the equipment’s service life.
While automotive lift safety can never be guaranteed, taking proper precautions can help keep people safe and avoid expensive repairs.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
2 American National Standards Institute (ANSI/ALI ALOIM-2000), 2020: https://ansi.org/
3 Automotive Lift Institute (ALI), 2023: https://www.autolift.org/product/alilp-guide/
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