Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F10

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

FIXED OPS JOURNAL ILLUSTRATION

SAFETY ALERT

As shop injuries rise, dealership service departments work to reduce risks

W

RICK POPELY

foj@autonews.com

hen a fire ripped through an
Alabama dealership's service
department in 2017, killing
three shop employees and injuring two others, the accident was a grim reminder that
auto repair is dangerous and
poses numerous daily risks.
The headline-grabbing incident was one of thousands in
dealership service departments and other repair shops
that year, causing 14,430 injuries that were reported to the federal Occupational Safety and
Health Administration.

PAGE 10

JUNE 2019

As new-vehicle dealerships increasingly rely
on fixed operations for revenue, and the flatrate pay system rewards service technicians
who work quickly, some industry analysts
warn that shops are at increased risk of employee injuries.
Many injuries reported to OSHA are minor,
such as cuts, bruises and muscle strains. But
the total in 2017, the last year for which data
are available, was 20 percent higher than in
2013. The list included 1,120 broken bones, 30
amputations and 50 work-related deaths.
In OSHA's investigation of the fire at the Alabama dealership, Carl Cannon ChevroletBuick-GMC in Jasper, the agency levied a
$114,074 fine after it found that workers used
a flammable brake wash to clean a service pit.

The dealership did not respond to requests for
comment.
Even minor shop injuries can increase a
dealership's insurance costs. Dealerships can
incur additional expenses to hire and train a
replacement if an injury sidelines a productive
technician. Nearly one-third of shop injuries
idle techs for more than 10 days, OSHA says.
And serious injuries or a death will attract
OSHA investigators to find the cause and often result in a fine, says Charlie Ayers, president of the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair. The committee partners with
OSHA, the EPA and the U.S. Department of
Transportation to provide online safety courses for repair shops and promote best environmental and safety practices.



Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019

Contents
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - Intro
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F1
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F2
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - Contents
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F4
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F5
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F6
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F7
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F8
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F9
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F10
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F11
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F12
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F13
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F14
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F15
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F16
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F17
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F18
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F19
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F20
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F21
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F22
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F23
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F24
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F25
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F26
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F27
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Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F35
Fixed Ops Journal - June 2019 - F36
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