In floor pit

[GH85Carrera]

A friend on mine wanted to have a pit dug out and even hired a real engineer and had a great plan drawn up. The County building folks about fainted when he dropped off the drawing. They were convinced he would die in a service pit. It was denied. He hired the engineer to change the plan and they called it a tornado shelter.

It was approved in an hour.

The steel doors on the top are easy to unbolt and open up and store. It was a slick setup but I bet he spent a lot of money to make it happen.

 

[wssix99]

There's being safe/protecting workers, and then there's overkill.

I think one can make a strong argument for letting the laws of Natural Selection rule in most cases, but a pit is a little different.

If someone can't tell that an open pit in a floor is dangerous, they don't put in curbs, they don't put in safety netting, and then they fall in it - then I'm fully in favor of whatever happens happening.

The thing that makes pits special is the invisible and flammable heavier-than-air gasses present in all garages. They are not easy (or inexpensive) to detect and the average homeowner won't be educated about them. (Because cars and garages built to code are designed to eliminate the problem.) I'm not sure many municipalities, or the people who work for them, are educated/trained in this area or able to address these things in a residential situation.

 

[finn]

Yep. The nanny state "protecting" everyone- because as we all know, someone else knows what's best for you.

What ever happened to natural selection? I say let the idiots who need and want others to walk them through life do so, but leave the rest of us alone! Being in industrial safety (career), I always think of the old "cowboy after OSHA" cartoon (Google it if unfamiliar). The sad reality is, every part of our lives has been restricted like that... and it gets worse every year!



Neal.

How about if it is the neighbor kid, your nephew or niece, or your wife that accidently falls in a pit you put in because you are smarter than everyone else and you make up your own safety rules and laws of physics.

There is a reason service pits aren't popular and lifts are inexpensive and commonplace.

I stepped on a nail yesterday. I certainly didn't intend to do it, but my glasses fogged up after stepping into a warm, humid construction site from the zero degree outside weather. Does that make me stupid?

Accidents happen, but there is no reason to help them happen .

 

[DekeT]

There's being safe/protecting workers, and then there's overkill. If you were aware of every last little rule/regulation that companies (and workers) are technically supposed to follow for even the simplest of tasks, you would understand where I am coming from. A lot of the rules are not followed, in part because there are so many that people do not even know about.

Well Neal if you are in charge of industrial safety then you have done a freaking lousy job of getting this information to the workers. It's your job to make it known. Stop passing the blame onto OSHA and do what you are supposed to do.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

The sost is so high, its so much cheaper and easier to simply install a lift and hok up the wires. The excavation, form work and all the amendments add up and you still have the wheels on the ground. Most modern car/light truck work is to brakes, wheels and front ends of cars.

I do mostly agree with what you say but it's easy to forget the possible cost of building a taller garage so you can use a lift in it. Obviously if you already have the height it's not a problem.

This side of the pond planning restrictions usually result in residential garage/workshops being too low for a lift which may explain why pits are more common...... although as I understand it more restrictions have been put in place on new pits.

 

[kansei]

How about if it is the neighbor kid, your nephew or niece, or your wife that accidently falls in a pit you put in because you are smarter than everyone else and you make up your own safety rules and laws of physics.

There is a reason service pits aren't popular and lifts are inexpensive and commonplace.

I stepped on a nail yesterday. I certainly didn't intend to do it, but my glasses fogged up after stepping into a warm, humid construction site from the zero degree outside weather. Does that make me stupid?

Accidents happen, but there is no reason to help them happen .

1. I never said I was smarter than everyone else, just pointed out that trying to over-protect everyone for most/all possible accidents leaves those more familiar/capable (in this case, with a service pit) unable to do so. I never said I could nor should make up my own safety rules nor change the laws of physics. That said, if a neighbor's child, or my nephew or niece fell into a service pit I built on my property, then it is on me for not building it in such a manner as to prevent people from not being able to fall into it. As I said in an earlier post- don't flatly deny people the ability or right to build one, but guide them in a safe way to build one.

2. I am not sure how what I posted implied you are stupid for stepping on a nail while walking into or through a construction site with fogged-up glasses.



Neal.

 

[kansei]

Well Neal if you are in charge of industrial safety then you have done a freaking lousy job of getting this information to the workers. It's your job to make it known. Stop passing the blame onto OSHA and do what you are supposed to do.

I am not in charge of industrial safety. I work in that field. It is not my responsibility to inform workers of all OSHA rules that pertain to their environment, only for those applications and products I am involved with. I didn't 'blame' OSHA for anything. OSHA is in some way a reactionary body, adding or changing rules and regulations as or when accidents happen, in an attempt to keep them from occurring again- which is not a bad thing. It becomes overkill when a once-simple task now requires special PPE, placarding/signage, area barricading, lockout/tagout procedures, etc. because someone hurt themselves.. I was merely pointing out how overwrought with protective measures and safeguards our society has become, and I mentioned the industrial safety world because the same over-protective mindset applies to the OP's inquiry about installing a service pit- at least where I live (and from the sounds of it, other members' locales), it is not allowed, at least for residential use, period. Sadly, I think a lot of it likely boils down to liability. We live in a time when no one wants to accept personal responsibility for anything, and as I mentioned, a lot of people need coddled through life, or seem to anyway. Modern cars are another example- lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, rear view backup cameras and the like are all there because some people don't pay enough attention when they drive, so they were implemented as safety features (all of which have pending legislation making them required features over the next several years). The more safeguards we put on ourselves, the less we actually have to think and pay attention to what we are doing. The natural selection comment was to this point. Accidents/mistakes, while I do not want them to happen, is what causes us to learn. Put reasonable safeguards in place, make things easier and safer to do or operate, but don't eliminate options outright just because someone who is not familiar with or wanting a pit is scared to let someone else have one.


Sadly, several here seem to have missed the tongue-in-cheek comment I was originally trying to make- that one day, the 'Cowboy after OSHA' cartoon is where we will be- for real.

I apologize to the OP for all of the hijacks to this thread- I have tried to keep it on-topic and related to it, even if indirectly.



Neal.

 

[wssix99]

How about if it is the neighbor kid, your nephew or niece, or your wife that accidently falls in a pit you put in because you are smarter than everyone else and you make up your own safety rules and laws of physics.

Hmmmm... Maybe this is a better way to collect the life insurance check?

 

[c39er]

This thread is now falling inthe pit!
I see a lawsuit coming..

 

[kbs2244]

^^^^^^^^^
Amen

 

[gearhead1]

I bought land and am getting close to building. I have seriously considered the pit, but not sure how the county would like it. I might put it on the plan and see what they say.

My cousin (different state) has one that I've used and it is awesome! He said his only regret was it didn't go the full length of the shop!! He's had it for almost 30 years and no issues, no one falling in it, etc. When not in use, it is covered, plain and simple.

I'm not trying to stir the pot, but yes it seems we go overkill sometimes. I'm all for safety, etc, but telling me I can't do something because it's unsafe just ticks me off when I see a pit in every oil change place, so obviously it can be done, and can be done safely. I agree with Neal - I would prefer the inspections department tell me how to do it safely than simple say I can't. Thank you for telling me what I can and can't do on my property that I paid for and pay taxes for.

 

[wssix99]

I'm all for safety, etc, but telling me I can't do something because it's unsafe just ticks me off when I see a pit in every oil change place, so obviously it can be done, and can be done safely.

That's just the point. It can be done safely but the ventilation and other inspection requirements, which oil change places follow, are going to be cost prohibitive for a residential shop. These things pay off when you have customers cycling through the doors to get their oil changed but the scales tip when its something one wants once-in-a-while and a when a typical lift can get the same job done.

I would think that anyone could get a variance to have a pit installed, but that just takes more money.

 

[sberry]

My cousin (different state) has one that I've used and it is awesome! He said his only regret was it didn't go the full length of the shop!! He's had it for almost 30 years and no issues, no one falling in it, etc. When not in use, it is covered, plain and simple

Has the cousin ever worked from a 2 post hoist?
Also, cars changed from 3 decades, now about 90% of the real work is wheel related. Nice to stand in front of it, move up or down.

 

[rancherbill]

And it goes to another poster's point about not letting people build a service pit- at their home, for their own use. Give people safe direction on how to do it, not just outright say no due to fear a few of the people that install them may have an accident.

I am sure pits are great. There is a danger.

Morons/ stupid people can't use the safety on a guns, jack stands, or proper operating procedures with pits.

Look at the number of people who accidentally discharge guns, are crushed by cars because of failing jacks, and die in pits.