Fire department maintenance shops can be filled with potential hazards. Some are obvious, others are not. Here are some things you might consider to make your shop a safer, more efficient, place to work.

Eye protection. The first thing they teach in most high-school shop classes is to wear your safety glasses. That precaution isn’t any less important once you get out into the real world. One accident can cost you your eyesight — and potentially your ability to earn a living. Safety glasses always should be worn when working with power tools or around machinery with moving parts. Ditto for situations involving potentially damaging chemicals. Welding requires special eye protection.

Hearing protection. Prolonged exposure to sound of certain intensities or frequencies can result in long-term, permanent hearing damage. The noise from engines, air-impact tools and other common shop sources are all dangerous. Unless you want to be an old guy muttering “eh?” all the time, take some precautions to protect your hearing now. Foam earplugs are the easiest and least expensive for most sounds. High-intensity sound requires protection with greater attenuation.

Respiratory protection. Diesel exhaust, chemical fumes and fine particulate matter can cause serious damage to your lungs and throat. Proper shop ventilation can go a long way to reduce these hazards. More localized hazards, such as working on specific machinery or in confined spaces, may require individual respiratory protective devices. Grinding, sanding, painting and other activities are especially dangerous. Different hazards require different protection — a paper painting mask with a rubber-band strap doesn’t cut it.

Contact protection. Even simple contact with certain materials can be hazardous. Battery acid is a common contact hazard. Various bio-hazards may exist inside ambulance interiors. Have a supply of disposable gloves in your shop to provide protection when you need it. Learn how to safely remove and dispose of contaminated gloves — throwing them in the trash just exposes someone else.

Material Safety Data Sheets. All manufacturers of hazardous materials are required to publish information on each material, its hazards, how to store it, how to handle it, and what to do if it is accidentally released or if someone comes in contact with it. Get the appropriate MSDS, read them and post them for all to see. Make this information part of your training.

Fire extinguishers. Burning down the shop is frowned on in most departments. Destroying a couple rigs in the process deducts extra points. Extinguishers should be plainly visible and easily accessible. A wall next to (but not behind) an exit door is a good place. Base the extinguisher UL rating on the types and amounts of potential fire hazards present. When in doubt, start with an 80BC rating.

Emergency lighting. Most shops need one or more emergency lighting units to provide illumination so personnel can safely find the exits in case of a power failure. Illuminated exit signs also may be required. Consult your local OSHA office.

Non-slip floors. A shiny, polished concrete floor looks good, but it may not provide much protection against slip-fall accidents. There are a variety of floor treatments to provide improved slip resistance, good wear resistance and easy maintenance. Check them out.

Some of these safety improvements are low-cost and easy, others take a little more money or work. All are worth it.