Show your interest in receiving the State Wire monthly newsletter, along with our other ongoing communications and special offers, by submitting the form below. It only takes a minute. Literally.

By subscribing, you will receive a special bonus: our one-of-a-kind State Wire tote bag.

Safety in any repair facility should be priority number one. The best way to avoid injuries is by preventing them. Every facility should have an accident prevention program that combines best practices with employee awareness. In this article, we provide advice on how you can ensure your facility is safe and secure. We’ve also put together a Garage Shop Safety checklist that summarizes all the things you should review as part of a do-it-yourself safety inspection.

Floor Care

Oil changes, transmission fluid changes, and other vehicle maintenance procedures involve working with slippery fluids that can coat the garage floor and increase the risk of accidents. Mechanics should clean up spills immediately when they occur, as slick spots increase the risk for slip-and-fall injuries.

Gloves and Footwear

Anyone who works in a garage should wear boots with non-slip soles. Shop workers should always wear gloves to prevent chemical burns, chemical irritation, heat burns, cuts, and other types of injuries. These gloves should be left in the workplace at the end of each shift so that dangerous chemicals are not transferred from the garage to the home.

Eye Wear

Shop workers should always wear eye safety equipment when working with chemicals, welding, grinding, or performing any work that poses a risk of injury. Safety goggles should surround the eyes completely to prevent debris or liquids from entering the eye.

Lifting and Stocking

Many accidents happen in storage and stock rooms. These areas should be organized in ways that minimize the chance for injury. Here are some tips for doing so:

• Keep frequently used items in easily accessible areas. Any popular or commonly-needed items should be between knee- and shoulder-height to reduce strain when lifting.
• Heavy or oddly-shaped items should be kept above the elbow, near eye-level height, to prevent lower back and/or shoulder injuries due to improper lifting posture.
• It may be an old cliche, but making sure your workers know to “lift with the knees, not the back” – proper posture and technique is the easiest way to prevent injuries in the workplace.
• Make sure your workers are aware of the limits and regulations of all the storage equipment they use – weight limits, operating procedures, and so on.
• Perform regular safety checks to make sure all your equipment is operating properly and is safe and functional to prevent accident or injury.
• Redesign your floor plan as needed to provide extra room to work – keep the floor free of obstructions, make sure there’s ample space between different shelves to make sure everyone has room to stock and replace items, and make sure nothing is close enough to create a safety hazard.

General Safety Rules

While seemingly obvious, the following general rules should be adhered to at all times in the shop to prevent accidents. Many accidents occur in the most seemingly innocent situations. Following these rules will ensure that no “accidental accidents” happen.

• Do not block or obstruct stairwells, exits or accesses to safety and emergency equipment
  such as fire extinguishers or fire alarms.
• Straighten or remove rugs and mats that do not lie flat on the floor.
• Use a ladder or step stool to retrieve or store items that are located above your head.
• Do not block your view by carrying large or bulky items; use a dolly or hand truck or get
  assistance from a fellow employee.
• Do not tilt the chair you are sitting in on its back two legs.
• Do not stand in front of closed doors.
• If required to cross a slippery surface, walk slow and flat-footed. Hold onto a handrail or
  solid object, if present, to maintain balance.
• Use provided aisles, walkways or sidewalks. Do not take shortcuts.
• Clean shoes of ice, water, mud, grease or other substances that could cause a slip or fall.

Training

Proper training is one of the best ways to prevent accidents and injuries in shops. Every shop should have a formal safety training program that every employee must complete. The safety program should include information on wearing personal protective equipment, identifying workplace safety hazards, reducing the risk of electrocution, working with hazardous chemicals, and procedures for reporting safety hazards to management.

Summary

Safety is an ongoing process that requires everyone’s participation.  The tips we’ve outlined here are a good way to get started on implementing measures that will keep everyone safe. Don’t forget to download our Garage Shop Safety checklist. In the meantime, If you have additional questions, feel free to give us a call at (800) 922-6527.

At State Wire And Terminal, Inc., we are terminal experts. They are not only in our name, they are the product we supply the most of to our customers across a range of industries, from automotive to marine to RV to trucking and heavy construction. We carry a wide range of brands and styles. And if we don’t have a particular style or brand in stock, we can easily special order it.

In this article, we’re going to overview the different types of terminals we stock, then take a deep dive into one particular style: ring terminals. We’ll describe their features, then provide tips for choosing the ring terminal most suited for your needs.

Types of Terminals

In our State Wire catalog, we carry the following types of terminals:

• Battery Terminals
• Brazed Seam
• Butted Seam
• High Temperature
• PVC (Plastic Insulated)
• Nylon Insulated
• Open Barrel
• Shrink Tubing

Here’s a deeper look at ring style terminals.

Ring Terminal Styles and Features

Ring terminals connect a single wire to a single connection point, such as a circuit protection device or power source. They come in sizes from 22 gauge all the way up to 4/0 gauge for heavy-duty applications.

At State Wire, we provide the following types of ring terminals:

	Brazed Seam. The barrel is bonded with a special silver brazing alloy to prevent the seam from opening from stress or when the wire is pulled. Brazed seam terminals may be crimped from any direction.
	Shrink Tubing. With this style, the adhesive-lined heat shrink tubing provides a corrosion resistant crimp connection, which improves mechanical performance and abrasion resistance.
	PVC (Plastic) These feature a flared PVC insulation sleeve that is permanently attached to the barrel. The funneled wire entrance of this style eliminates wire strand “hang up.”
	Nylon Insulated. The nylon insulation of these terminals provides superior protection. A vibration support sleeve strengthens the barrel and secures the wire to protect against stress and vibration.
Butted Seam. Butted seam terminals are available upon request for 22-18GA and 16-14GA sizes.

Ring Terminal Selection Tips

When selecting the right ring terminal for your application, you should know the wire gauge and stud size to which you will be connecting the ring terminal. You will also want to keep in mind the connection environment in order to determine which type of insulation you will want to use.

Our State Wire catalog includes a stud size chart to help you choose the right size. We’ve duplicated the chart below. Click on the image to see it at actual size. You can print the chart and use it to know which size terminal to order.

Why State Wire?

Since 1973 State Wire and Terminal Inc. has been supplying companies with a wide variety of electrical parts, industrial supplies and fasteners. We offer quality products, as well as excellent, friendly service and competitive prices. We carry quality, name-brand products, including 3M, Molex, Deutsch and Power and Signal. We stock over 12,000 parts and can special order nearly anything.

To reach one of our representatives, call 1-800-922-6527 or complete our online quote request form. We’ll get right back in touch with you.