This industry includes:

  • mechanics
  • auto electricians
  • crash repairs and spray painting
  • wheel and tyre fitting
  • engineering
  • vehicle manufacturing
  • parts suppliers.

Most common hazards and injuries

People working with vehicles are at greatest risk of sustaining injuries due to:

  • body stressing
  • slips trips and falls
  • being hit by moving vehicles or items of plant, such as forklift incidents.

Health and safety guide

Our Automotive Workshops Work Health and Safety Guidelines provides insights into the common hazards and risks within the automotive workshop industry.

The guide will help you understand your legal obligations and the importance of safety in your business. It provides simple and practical safety solutions and tips to help you uphold your responsibilities and make your workshop safe.

Free printed copies of the guidelines are available on request.

The guide covers common risks faced by automotive workshops, such as:

For information on managing the risks of diesel exhaust see our diesel exhaust page and SafeWork Australia's Guidance for managing the risks of diesel exhaust.

Practical safety solutions and tips for compliance are provided throughout the guide.

Quick safety scans

Each section of the guide has a set of quick safety scans. These checklists will guide you through the self-audit process and will give you an indication of how well you are currently doing and identify any areas for improvement.

Select the items that are relevant to the nature, size and complexity of your workplace. Those items where you tick ‘Sometimes’ or ‘Never’ will need action to fix or improve.

Documenting your safety management practices

The below documents provide a completed example of the forms and records that you might need when developing your work health and safety practices. You can personalise and tailor them to suit your particular needs and operations.