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Recyclers News Press
Safety Standards
Iowa—Certified Auto Recyclers Environmental Program
I-CARE
Safety Standard 1
Utilization of basic personal protective equip-
ment including goggles, gloves, hard hats, safety
shoes, safety clothing, and safety shields when
required.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) can help com-
plement other measures taken by employers and
employees to minimize hazards and unsafe condi-
tions. Recent OSHA revisions require the employer
to complete a written hazard evaluation of the work-
place to determine employee hazards and the PPE
necessary to protect them.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is specialized
clothing or equipment worn by employees for protec-
tion against health and safety hazards. Personal pro-
tective equipment is designed to protect many parts
of the body, including; eyes, head, face, hands, feet,
and ears.
Safety Standard 2
OSHA approved 15-minute eye wash station(s)
readily accessible near corrosive materials.
Workers’ eyes may be damaged very quickly by ex-
posure to contaminants in battery storage or vehicle
processing areas. The first fifteen seconds after an
eye injury is critical. The American National Stan-
dards Institute (ANSI) suggests that eye wash sta-
tions be located within 100 feet, or a 10 second walk,
of critical work areas.
Safety Standard 3
Readily available, appropriately typed and fully
charged fire extinguishers.
OSHA rule 29 CFR 1910.157 states that an em-
ployer shall provide approved portable fire extin-
guishers and shall mount, locate and identify them so
that they are readily accessible to employees without
subjecting the employees to possible injury.
Fire extinguishers must be maintained in a fully
charged and operable condition and kept in their
designated places at all times except during use. Fire
extinguishers for employee use should be selected
and distributed based on the classes of anticipated
workplace fires and on the size and degree of hazard
which would affect their use.
A multi-purpose ABC
rated fire extinguisher is appropriate for an auto
salvage operation.
Safety Standard 4
Train employees on proper operations and han-
dling of cutting torch equipment.
The auto recycling industry has had an unimpressive
history of fires and injury cause by the improper and
unsafe use of cutting torches. ARA and our industry
is proactively encouraging members to help do their
part to not repeat history and start a new trend of
safety and awareness.
The ARA (Automotive Recyclers Association) CAR
(Certified Auto Recycler) program suggests that the
gas cutting torch is a tool that should have limited
use and that any use should be monitored and re-
stricted to employees that have been properly
trained. All safety protocols must be in place prior to
the use of any gas cutting torch.
A cutting torch is a tool that if not properly used, can
lead to explosion, fire, flash burns, skin burns, eye
injury and even loss of life. Some insurance compa-
nies have changed their insurance policies so that
property damage and loss caused by the use of a
cutting torch would lead to steeply increased deducti-
bles in the event of a claim. Retain a signed and
dated copy of this and any other training programs in
the employee files prior to use of a gas cutting torch.
