Carwash Driving Tips

It’s time to remind everyone that customers and employees face a huge risk every day from cars at and around the wash. The following are a few tips that may help mitigate the chances that someone will be injured or worst, killed!

Driver Training 101

Assign Driver Safety Manager

·         Have written Safety Procedures

·         Provide a Designated Driver Job Description

·         Routine Onsite Designated Driver Training

·         Regular Driver Safety Meetings

·         Exterior Wash Customer Driving Safety

·         Regular updates on vehicle technological changes 

Exterior wash customer driving Safety

Keep drying areas left or right of tunnel exit

Visual directional signage is VERY IMPORTANT!

Utilize whenever possible:

·         Stop & Go Lights

·         Directional Arrow

·         Signage directing customer’s to apply BRAKE before shifting and exiting the tunnel

·         Traffic Barriers

·         Train employees on how to use hand signals for guiding vehicles on the conveyor & pointing to instructional signage

·         Employee guiding cars on conveyor should wear reflective gloves

·         Employees walking on the property should  wear reflective vests
(this is particularly important at an express exterior model) 
 

Full Serve Conveyor Exit area Safety

·         Keep towel drying areas left or right of tunnel exit

·         Establish designated pedestrian waiting areas

·         Establish safe pedestrian patterns 

Utilize the following:

·         Cones

·         Barriers

·         Bollards

·         Sand Barrels

·         Directional signage

·         Caution signs for pedestrian traffic
 

Moral of the Story

Driving at most washes is hazardous to employees and customers. Where there are vehicles, people walking, and locations that often have a tight turning radius, anything can happen!
 

Be Prepared.
 

Washing safely means bigger profits, healthy employees and happy customers! 
 

Email us what you’re doing or visit us
 at the car wash show in Vegas and tell us in person!!
We’re greeting everyone at booth 443.

 

Don’t be a Distracted Driver

The story goes: a customer is in the tunnel when he gets a phone call on his cell. In the next few minutes he is racing through the wash damaging equipment as he drives off. Thanks to surveillance, he is apprehended later that day. He explains that his girlfriend and he had a huge fight and he just lost it!


Many lives are lost each year due to cell phone use and texting on the highways. But, many claims are beginning to happen at car washes as well. They occur to employees and customers alike and will continue to escalate unless operators/managers establish some policies to minimize this risk.

Here’s a few ideas:

Employees

• Insist on a no cell phone use policy while at the wash. This should include all functions of the phone. Make sure there is clear enforcement and a penalty when this is ignored.

• Make sure that the use of MP3 or other music devices is also prohibited. These can also distract workers while driving or directing traffic at the wash.

• Be sure you inform all employees to advise their friends and family of the limitation of cell phone use on the job. Limit messages for any calls to an employee to emergency calls only.

• Be sure to include safety training that advises all employees exactly what the rules are and exactly what the penalties are for any violations.

• Eating and drinking can be a distraction as well. Be sure that employees are not handling either while they are working. They need to be focused on the vehicles on the property.

Customers

• Use signage before entering the tunnel or bay alerting them to the risks associated with texting or cell phone use. Their vehicle is not the same as being stopped or pulled over in a stationary position.

• Keep the drivers focused on directions. One operator uses a florescent glove for the employee to use on the hand that directs them onto the conveyor. Another uses hand signals and points to the signs to keep the drivers engaged.

What’s working at your wash? I would love to hear more ideas!