Role guide · Mechanic
A workshop hands you three hazards on rotation: oil on everything, edges under everything, and assemblies that spin. The kit list answers all three — and the golden rule is that nothing loose goes near the third one.
The list
| Item | Spec | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Coverall ×2 (or two-piece) | Poly-cotton, snug cuffs, covered zip | One on, one in the wash — always |
| Work trousers + polo (alt.) | Stretch, holster pockets | The two-piece route for MOT bays and customer-facing work |
| Gloves | Nitrile-coated, abrasion 4 | Nitrile grips through oil where PU and latex give up |
| Boots | S1P workshop / S3 if yard work | Dropped tools and trolley jacks answer the toe-cap question |
| Knee protection | Pads or a creeper | Concrete floors collect a career's worth of kneeling |
| Beanie / bump cap | Under-ramp work | Ramps and sills win every head-height argument |
The golden rule
Serpentine belts, prop shafts, wheel balancers, bench grinders — a workshop is full of assemblies that grab. The rule is absolute: cuffs closed, zips done, no dangling drawstrings, no rings, and gloves off at specific rotating machines where a snagged glove pulls the hand in. It's why proper workshop coveralls have elasticated or stud cuffs and covered zips, and why the baggy-hoodie look has no place under a ramp.
On the oil itself: it's coming for the kit regardless. Two coveralls in rotation, washed hot with a degreaser pre-treat — the oil & grease guide is written for exactly this wardrobe. Kit that stays saturated stops being workwear and starts being a skin-contact problem; engine oils and dermatitis are a known pair, which is also why the gloves matter beyond grip.
Worth knowing
Questions
Coveralls win under ramps and inside engine bays — one garment, no waist gap, snug cuffs, industrial-washable. Two-piece suits MOT testing and customer-facing bays. Either way: two sets in rotation, because oil accumulates faster than one wash cycle.
Nitrile-coated work gloves for general spannering — nitrile keeps grip through oil where PU and latex fail — plus disposable nitrile for fluids. At specific rotating machinery, gloves come off entirely: a snagged glove pulls the hand in.
Pre-treat with a degreaser (neat washing-up liquid works), wait 20–30 minutes, then wash on the hottest cycle the label allows with heavy-duty detergent. Air-dry and check before tumble-drying — heat sets residual oil. Saturated kit that won't come clean gets retired.
Yes — dropped tools, brake discs and trolley jack handles settle the argument. S1P covers workshop floors; step up to S3 if the job includes yards and recovery work in the weather. Metal-free composite caps suit anyone working around live electrics on EVs.
Either way the kit list is the same — send the role and the headcount and we'll price it, embroidered.