Keeping customers safe at your car wash is paramount to running a successful business. To prevent damage to your property and customers’ vehicles, and injury to your customers and employees, there are several security and emergency features you need to consider – especially for automated car washes.
At PSD Codax, we’re the leading supplier of car wash access technology, so we know a thing or two about proper guidance and safety for the customer journey at your car wash. In this article, we’ll outline what the health and safety requirements are, what features you should include, and how to ensure your customers remain safe.
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The Health and Safety Requirements for Your Car Wash
Various regulations are in place in the UK that govern different aspects of automated car washes. From the chemicals you use to the handling of waste, to the layout and safety mechanisms on your site, there are quite a few different things to keep track of.
Water Waste Management
The cleaning products and water runoff at your car wash need to be handled properly. If allowed to freely flow into uncontrolled areas, you could cause harm to people and wildlife in your area. Ensuring you have the proper flooring for your car wash, and the right irrigation channels to dispose of wastewater, is crucial for your health and safety.
Information and Guidance
As the car wash owner, it is your responsibility to inform users on what they need to do to ensure a safe and smooth process at your car wash. This means providing access systems and signage to guide them around your car wash, along with information on specific measures they need to take – such as leaving the ignition on if their vehicle has automatic break engagement while the engine is turned off.
Chemicals and Cleaning Products
The substances you use also come under scrutiny. According to guidance, any direct contact with irritants must be done while wearing the proper protective equipment e.g. gloves, forearm protection, eye protection, etc. This PPE should be kept well-maintained and cleaned regularly. This likely applies more to your employees who may need to refill cleaning fluids, but could also apply in the case of self-service car washes, depending on the products you use.
Ensure any products are stored safely in areas away from naked flames that customers can’t easily access. Additionally, ensure your automatic car wash is properly contained, and that no dangerous components like machinery or live wiring are exposed.
You have a duty to protect your customers and their assets while on your premises, especially within an automated car wash system. To create the safest environment for all, and stop any potential litigation, you need to ensure your car wash is safe and operational.
Security and Emergency Features at Your Automated Car Wash
Security Features
Security cameras: these protect your assets, allow you to review what has happened in an incident, and can even further the ability of automatic or manual stoppage of your automated car wash. Plus, the presence of a security camera is often enough of a deterrent to prevent petty crimes like shoplifting or vandalism.
Bollards: these can help control the customer journey and prevent damage to your assets while improving safety for customers both in vehicles and out.
Find out more about the benefits of bollards at your car wash
Emergency Features
Automatic stoppage: if the conveyor system becomes jammed if a hazard is detected, or if there is any kind of fault, having your automatic car wash stop instantaneously can prevent more damage or harm to individuals – or even stop problems from occurring in the first place.
Other Safety Features
Proper signage: this can be used to prevent customers from entering dangerous or unwanted areas like storage or maintenance, alongside giving a clear and considered journey around your car wash.
Information: providing adequate information to detail what needs to be done before beginning the car wash is vital, such as:
Closing windows.
Deactivating sensors.
Disabling automatic stopping features.
Removing the aerial.
Folding in wing mirrors.
Protecting the windscreen wipers.
You should also include information about what needs to be done after the car wash is done, such as when the customer can resume control of their vehicle – in this case, after the exit notice has appeared. You should also encourage driving gently if the car’s wheels are still on the belt.
How to Ensure Safety at Your Car Wash
Ensuring proper protection at your car wash requires vigilance towards the different aspects of health and safety we’ve discussed, alongside the implementation of the various security and emergency features you can include. Here are some steps you can take to ensure safety at your car wash:
Train your staff – such as via the government checklist on proper handling of car wash cleaning products.
Increase customer awareness through information boards or employee assistance.
Ensure automatic stoppage is in place.
Utilise effective security devices like cameras and bollards.
Pay attention to the design and layout of your car wash, ensuring it is safe for both vehicles and pedestrians and that the journey is easy to understand.
Control access via intelligent access systems.
Improve Security and Inflow with Access Systems from PSD Codax
By reviewing your automatic car wash and seeing how it aligns with the various health and safety recommendations, you can find places to implement security and emergency features to both enhance the quality of your service and the safety of customers, their assets, and yours, while they use it.
Your customer journey begins at their access point, and at PSD Codax, we ensure this is the best it can be. Our range of world-class access systems are designed to make your car wash experience safe, easy to navigate, and better for your revenue. Get in touch today to find out more!