Axle Stand Safety Advice

Axle Stands — Safety Advice

THE GOLDEN RULE

Never rely on the jack. A jack is for lifting, not for holding. Whenever you work under or on a raised vehicle, support the raised end on axle stands. This is a health-and-safety requirement in case the hydraulic jack fails — and applies even under a four-post lift, where stands are placed to catch the vehicle if the lift fails.

SAFE USE

Use matched pairs. Always use matched stands — two identical stands for one raised end, or four identical stands if lifting all four corners. Badly matched stands put an uneven load on the vehicle and on the stands.

Level, clean, dry ground. Use on firm, level, clean and dry ground, free of obstruction. Not on soft ground, not on a slope or at an angle, not where it is slippery.

Load vertically over the centre. The load must act vertically, down the centre of the stand — not off the vertical axis and not to one edge. An off-centre or shifting load (for example a skip lorry part-full of water) turns a vertical load into a lateral force the stand is not designed for.

Know your loads. Understand the safe working load (SWL) of the stand, the weight of the vehicle, and how that weight is distributed across the stands. Do not exceed the SWL.

Use the correct pin only. Use only the pin supplied with the stand, or the identical Melco replacement. Never substitute a screwdriver or a random high-tensile bolt — its load rating is unknown and it may fail without the bend-not-break warning the correct pin gives.

Follow the instruction sheet. Follow the safety instructions supplied with the stand; HSE guidance for the use of axle stands is also available. Wear appropriate PPE for the job.

KEEP THEM SAFE OVER TIME

Inspect and re-test. Inspect stands before use and replace worn pins, chains or crutches with genuine Melco spares. Commercial stands must be inspected annually. If a pin is bent, treat it as an overload warning: take the stand out of use and investigate before returning it to service. See “Axle Stand Inspection & Spares”.

Related guides

• Which Axle Stand Do I Need? — choose the right capacity and height for your vehicle.
• Axle Stand Inspection & Spares — how to inspect a stand and when to fit a genuine Melco pin, chain or crutch.