A safe shop creates a better working environment for employees and a better buying experience for customers. People should feel comfortable and safe going to work every day, and customers should not have to worry when they bring vehicles in for tires and service.
It can mean lower insurance premiums, savings on property and liability expenses and an increase in productivity and profit.
Company safety policies are essential to set expectations across the organization. These policies include establishing clear safety procedures, a set of guidelines and checklists.
Regular safety meetings with all employees to review the established guidelines and procedures reinforces expectations.
All new employees should be required to sign a statement that they understand the safety policies and will comply. If PPE is required, it should be provided to each employee as part of the policy.
Once safety inspection checklists are developed, they should be reviewed with all employees and a schedule of regular inspections should be started in addition to regular safety meetings with all store personnel. You might consider appointing an employee as the safety lead compliance officer and make him or her responsible for managing the details and timelines of your safety program.
Safety policies help to avoid serious injury or property damage and liability. Company policies should include that all employees are trained in the operation of all the equipment in your shop.
Most manufacturers provide training like this as part of their offering. Most of all, require that people use equipment only for the task it is designed for.
Keep a binder of policies where all employees can review expectations and procedures and document regular inspections and any updates.
Company policy also can help an organization be ready in the event of a catastrophe with a workable plan for recovery. Having guidelines in place will help your shop return to business as usual as soon as possible, with the minimum amount of interruption or liability exposure.
Once policies are in place, get the entire team on board. In addition to forming a committee of employees, assign responsibilities to employees to perform regular safety inspections.
Safety policies are not something to do once and forget about. Safety must be an ongoing routine, reinforced and part of the culture of your business.
“Inspect what you expect.” Review and update as needed –- just be sure to communicate changes with the rest of your team.