Prevent Death and
Dismemberment at the Wash
Can you imagine what it’s like to tell a family that their
son or daughter has lost a limb or been killed? As an owner of a Car Wash, you
may have to have that conversation someday. I know you’ll agree that you would
do anything in your power to prevent such a tragedy.
If you own a business, you have a responsibility to keep
your employees safe. Now ask yourself, have you done all you can to prevent
injuries to your employees, as well as your customers? If you answered “yes”,
you could be leaving yourself and your business open to a possible disaster.
Safety is an ongoing process that requires constant analysis. You should
continually evaluate your organizations safety procedures and implement changes
and updates when a new best practice arises.
When evaluating and developing your safety plan, the best
place to start is identifying the most present and dangerous exposure that
could jeopardize the safety of your customers and employees. Once the exposure
is identified, you can develop a pro-active plan to mitigate or eliminate the
factors that most contribute to that risk.
For most washes, the greatest risk comes from the hazards
associated with moving vehicles on the property. Generally, this risk is the
worst when a vehicle suddenly accelerates, whether due to mechanical problems
or human error.
Recently, in a two-week period, there were reports of driving
related catastrophes at two unrelated carwashes. One incident resulted in an
employee losing a limb; the other resulted in death.
You may be surprised to learn that both of the previously
mentioned incidents occurred with a customer behind the wheel. In the car wash
industry, we tend to focus on developing safety procedures when our employees
have control of a vehicle, but often forget about the dangers associated with a
customer driving their own car. Many full-service washes have meticulous
procedures to reduce these extreme risks, but exterior washes are not immune to
these dangers either.
The following are some ideas that you may want to consider
at your locations:
1.
Towel Washing Operations:
a.
Often times, there are part-time employees
working in this section. Most washes spend some time reviewing how to hold the
towels, the proper clothing to wear and general instructions on how to avoid
damaging customer cars. However, training should also include understanding the
dangers associated with vehicles moving through the tunnel. Most importantly,
employees must be held accountable anytime they are observed deviating from
this training.
b.
Evaluate the configuration of your exit area.
Some specific areas to focus on are: 1. the distance from the end of the
conveyor to the employee station 2. Driving patterns that may direct traffic
towards employees 3. Safe areas for employees away from exiting traffic 4.
Procedures to recognize and address the added exposure of busy days vs. slow
days.
c.
Consider and address the negative impacts caused
by distractions while driving. There should be signs posted prohibiting the use
of cell phones and other hand held devices while operating a vehicle. You
should have a protocol in place for when a customer appears to be under the
influence of alcohol or drugs. Employees should always make sure the customer
is comfortable driving on the property before allowing them to enter
potentially dangerous areas. The main focus is to establish a procedure to
determine whether a customer driving the vehicle will maintain a safe
environment, and if not, creating a process to alleviate the potential danger.
d.
You may want to consider using a visual aid to
alert customers when the wash cycle is done. Many washes currently deploy an
audio alert, such as a horn, that can surprise a driver and cause potentially
dangerous situations. A visual aid can help keep the driver focused on the
environment near the exit and remain alert of potential hazards. A simple Stop
& Go light could potentially save a life.
e.
Be sure that employees are wearing bright
colored clothing. These outfits will keep drivers more alert and aware of their
surroundings.
f.
Make note of where the sun shines during the
day. Employees should be aware of certain times when a customer exiting the
wash may have their vision impaired by glare.
g.
Be sure to implement, and enforce, a policy forbidding
the employees use of headphones while working. Their senses should be free of
as many distractions as possible.
2.
Detailing Operations:
a.
When backing vehicles out of the bay, be sure to
deploy a spotter. Make sure the spotter can be seen by the driver and is aware
of the traffic pattern.
b.
Employees should never stand directly in front
of, or behind, a vehicle.
c.
Make sure employees use their horn when backing
out of the bay to alert other operators of the moving vehicle.
It can be difficult to identify some of the causes of
incidents involving moving cars. However, the best defense is a continuous and
comprehensive analysis of your safety practices to help identify hazards and
address potential risks, before an accident can occur. Start evaluating your
safety procedures today!
