How to Accessorise Your Car

Critical Safety Precautions During Airbag System Installation

Tucked away in the doors and steering wheel, airbags are invisible features that save many lives in auto accidents. While some car maintenance issues can wait, airbags cannot. Therefore, you should take your car for immediate repairs if you suspect the airbags are faulty. Most people think that an airbag can be tucked in after deployment. However, nothing could be further from the truth because a deployed airbag must be replaced with a new unit for safety reasons. Besides, mechanics must adhere to specific safety measures when installing a new airbag system. This article highlights critical precautions to observe.

The Trim Side Must Face Up -- When replacing an airbag in a steering wheel or car door, mechanics must be careful where and how they place the assembly. The reason is that improper placement of a new airbag assembly is dangerous. It can be attributed to the fact that an airbag is usually deployed from the trim side of a car door or steering wheel assembly. Thus, mechanics must install an airbag assembly with the trim side facing up. Most importantly, the trim side should always face away from a hard surface to prevent the assembly from turning into a dangerous projectile during accidental deployment.

Dispose of Used Airbags as Dangerous Materials -- While airbags are not considered explosives, they should still be disposed of as dangerous materials due to their potentially hazardous nature. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for auto technicians to dispose of deployed or undeployed airbags in standard commercial waste bins when installing a new system. Notably, an airbag can accidentally deploy and send metallic waste in a skip bin flying into the air, putting everybody in a garage at risk of injury. It is why auto service centres that dispose of airbags in regular waste bins risk legal action and fines when county council officials get wind of the behaviour.

Secure an Airbag on a Bench -- Testing an airbag module before installation is critical since it is the only way an auto technician can establish whether the system will deploy as required. However, mechanics must also be alive to the fact that such tests can trigger the airbag to deploy accidentally. Therefore, any tests on an airbag module must be performed when the unit is secured on a bench or a jib. This way, an airbag assembly system will stay in place even if accidentally triggered. Besides, the bench should allow maximum airbag inflation because restricted spaces can cause the bag to burst and cause injuries. Look into airbag system installation for more information.


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