Safer Racing - Pit Safety Discussion

Written by on March 1, 2006 Ideas To Make Your Racing Safer
Safer Racing - Pit Safety Discussion View All 1 Photos
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Today's racing often sees the involvement of family members, friends, and co-workers. The environment is much different than what we see in our everyday lives in that it is inherently dangerous. A lot can, and often does, go wrong. Let's explore the subject of pit safety to see if we can instill basic preventative measures in your routine to help avoid accidents.

Most industries are self regulated, if not governmentally regulated as to safety standards. To our knowledge, auto racing is not universally regulated. That means that for every track you go to, there may or may not be rules concerning track and pit safety.

Depending on the individual track or sanctioning body, the involvement with dictating safety rules is, in a word, varied. Individually, we must adopt our own safety rules to take with us so that we can prevent injury to ourselves and others and survive to enjoy this great sport.

Pit safety involves procedures and equipment. In years past, it could be argued that sufficient safety equipment was not available to protect us, but procedural arguments would never hold up. We've always had a brain.

Here is a list of problem areas with pit safety and some discussion on how to make things less problematic.

Crushing Injuries
If you've been involved with working on a race car, you have had your fingers pinched, parts dropped on your toes, and so on. The worst-case scenario is to have a car dropped on you while under it. Jackstands are a no-brainer for working under a car. Never rely on a floor jack to safely support a car while someone is under it.

If you see a crewmember go under a car without jackstands in place, put them there yourself. Trust me, you will be a hero if the jack gives way. You will be a zero if you stand there and do nothing and someone gets seriously injured because of inaction. As with most items of track safety, we must constantly be aware of potential dangers around us that involve not only ourselves, but others as well.

Cuts are annoying and almost never require medical attention. Every now and then, stitches are needed, but other than that, we go on. That being said, cuts can be avoided by using pit gloves, arm protection, or basically ensuring that sharp edges are covered or removed.

I had a crew that went so far as to insist that the tie-wrap ends be cut off close to the female end with a razor blade to avoid the sharp corners that come from using diagonal pliers, which will cut you every time. This attention to safety detail was commendable.

Getting run over by a race car or service vehicle is fairly rare, but it does happen. If you are walking in the pits and not continually looking around and behind you, you are an accident waiting to happen. If you are with someone who is not familiar with pit protocol, keep a close eye on that person and give him or her instructions on how to conduct him or herself.

I had the opportunity to save a person from serious injury at Charlotte one year when a fast-moving Cup car was turning into its garage space and a dummy turned into its path. I instinctively grabbed his arm and jerked him clear at the last second. The difference in walking away and being carried away was only about four tenths of a second. Be aware at all times

Burns and Fires
The subject of burns can run the gamut from hot header and brake rotor burns to fuel fires. Most tracks and sanctioning bodies require a fire extinguisher to be present at all times in the pit area. I have looked around during many events and not seen a fire extinguisher.

In Grand Am racing, when a team is moving fuel or fueling the car, the persons doing the work must have full fire-protection suits on at all times. Most bodies require all pit crewmembers to wear firesuits during a race, and some require helmets.

Pit fires happen fast and must be dealt with immediately. Put a fire bottle near your pit where anyone can get to it quickly. It only takes a minute of someone's time and may save someone from a lifetime of pain and disfigurement.

A pit blunder is when someone does something that is stupid by all accounts and someone gets injured. It could be as simple as forgetting to put the car in gear or as serious as leaving a tire unattended while inflating.

Tire accidents happen. A few years ago, at a track we will not name and under one of the most strict sanctioning bodies we also will not name, a young rookie racer was allowed to air up the tires. He attached a lock-on hose end to the tire and walked away.

When he returned, the tire was seriously overinflated and he attempted to remove the air hose. That was about the time the tire exploded off the rim and took a large part of his arm and shoulder with it. He died.

Look out for novices in the pits. They just don't understand the dangers. They need looking after and instruction, as opposed to being left to learning the hard way. The hard way can sometimes be fatal.

Every once in a while, someone falls off a hauler or trips over a jack handle or jackstand. Most of these types of injuries come from moving too fast. Do you ever see a crewmember who cannot slow down? Everything they do is in a hurry, as if lives depended on getting the task at hand done.

Lives are dependent on the speed of doing tasks, but in reverse. The old saying, "a stitch in time saves nine (could be surgical stitches)" could be applied to racing activities. Running through the pits is never recommended and, if necessary, should be done carefully. If you have a crewmember who insists on running everywhere, talk him into slowing down. Save the speed for the pit stops where it is both appropriate and welcomed.

Electrical Shocks
Electrical shocks are also fairly rare. Race teams work with electrical power tools that are often run by generators. A modern generator produces enough power to kill a person.

Every hurricane season, reports of persons being seriously injured from electrical shocks due to improper use of a generator surface. That means it can and does happen. Inspect electrical cords, use grounded tools and wires, and avoid water.

Track outlets are outdoor fixtures and only as safe as the weather. Again, avoid wet conditions and unplug all power tools if it starts to rain. The use of gloves may provide insulation from electrical shocks.

The Live Pit Dangers
The most dangerous place and time would have to be in the hot pits while the race is in progress. When cars come in to pit for whatever reason, they are looking to save time-and that means going as fast as the rules will allow.

Crewmembers are often injured by the following: 1) getting hit by the car itself when entering or leaving the pits, 2) the car falling off the jack, 3) fuel spilling on the hot brakes (producing a fireball), and 4) cuts, burns, and bruises from repairing a bent-up race car after an accident.

There is an extensive array of firesuits, aprons, gloves, arm covers, shoes, knee and elbow pads, and eye and ear protection available that can help reduce live pit injuries. Use them. Car owners should provide the pit crew with all of the equipment necessary to avoid injury.

Always keep in mind that racing is a sport, and all sports produce injuries. The more aware we are of the dangers, the better prepared we can be to help prevent serious injury to ourselves and others. Safety in racing is cool, and you should never feel ashamed to step forward to help improve the situation for pit safety around you.


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