If you’ve got an auto shop, you’ve got a lot of responsibility on your plate with the customers coming and going, dropping off their cars or picking up their cars. You need to make sure your shop is safe for them so no one gets hurt. The thing is that while you and your employees are familiar with and aware of the risks of the auto garage (and have been trained on how to work around cars safely) your customers are a different story. That’s why keeping your shop ship shape and safe as possible is essential. We’ll go over some of the garage risks you should be aware of and some auto repair shop safety tips.
Risks of auto garages.
Here are a few hazards of running an auto shop.
- Paint fumes
- Sanding dust
- Metal fumes (i.e. from welding or cutting)
- Hearing damage from excessive noise
- Slips/falls from grease/oil
- Debris
- Electrical exposure
- Heavy machinery
Auto shop safety tips.
If a customer was to get hurt at your shop, you could be held liable for the injury. You can protect both your customers and your business by making sure your auto shop safety is top-notch. The goal is to mitigate risk and reduce the chance of someone getting hurt. Here are a few tips:
1. Have a waiting area.
It’s important to have a waiting area for your customers. If they have a comfortable place to sit and relax while they wait, they’ll be less likely to wander around and possibly get into trouble. It’s probably for the best to keep the customers away from the shop or garage itself. (Also, make sure the waiting area is properly ventilated.)
2. Have signs designating employee-only areas.
You should also have signs designating employee-only areas. That way you can alert customers to the dangers of the shop floor and warn them away from the hazards of the garage. Make sure that the signs are clear and placed where people can see them. The goal is to keep the customers out of trouble as much as possible.
3. Keep customers out of the shop unless ABSOLUTELY necessary.
It’s really important to keep customers away from the shop unless it’s absolutely necessary to complete the job. If you do absolutely have to take a customer into the shop, make sure that you’ve made the shop ship-shape. For example…
- Keep the shop tidy.
- Make sure there are no trip hazards along the walking paths.
- Check that there are no sharp edges sticking out.
- Check equipment (i.e. frame straightening machines or hydraulic pressure hoses) for signs of wear or needed repair.
- Ask that food and drink stay in the waiting room (dust and stuff from the shop are not good.)
- Make sure that you’ve cleaned up all spills.
- Give customers PPE to wear if they have to come into the shop.
(But again, it’s probably for the best to keep customers out of the shop as a general rule.)
4. Don’t forget the floor.
You also have to make sure your flooring is in good repair. There shouldn’t be any tears in the carpet or holes in the floor tile. That could cause someone to trip and fall. It’s important to make sure the floor isn’t conspiring to trip your customers. The same goes for your sidewalk and walkway. Make sure there are no pavement cracks that could make someone take a nasty fall.
5. Have plenty of lighting.
Having enough lighting inside and outside your auto repair shop is also helpful. As far as inside goes, make sure you have proper emergency lightning just in case something happens. It’s also important to remember to have proper outdoor lightning too, both for security and to help people see where they’re going when it’s dark. So, be sure there’s plenty of lighting both inside and outside your auto shop.
6. Make sure to clean up spills promptly.
One thing that it’s important to train your employees to do is to clean up any spills that happen. You don’t need anyone – pardon the pun – taking a spill because there’s water on the floor. Anyways, make sure that any spills get cleaned up quickly.
Auto shop safety is so important when you’re running a garage. You need to keep your customers safe when they visit your repair shop. Be on the lookout for any potential hazards and keep everything neat, tidy, and comfortable.
If you have a brake repair business, transmission business, mechanic shop, collision repair shop, or another type of auto shop, we can help you get the insurance you need. Our team would be happy to help. Get started with your auto shop quotes by filling out our online form, give us a call, or message us on LiveChat.