This week, August 12-18, marks the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Safe + Sound Week. Safe + Sound is a year-round campaign dedicated to encouraging workplace safety and health. The Week recognizes the successful workplace safety and health efforts and is an opportune time to ensure your dealership has the tools to manage and mitigate workplace hazards before problems arise.

OSHA has a number of resources available, including their On-Site Consultation Program, a free, confidential safety and health service for small and medium-sized businesses to identify and address workplace hazards. Through this program, dealers can request a consultation with an OSHA consultant, which includes a dealership visit and walkthrough, as well as a formal post-visit report outlining visit findings and customized recommendations.

In addition to strengthening dealership health and safety, dealerships in some states can reduce their workers compensation insurance premiums by participating in voluntary OSHA Consultations and similar safety inspections. These resources are designed to provide compliance assistance and operate separately from OSHA’s enforcement function.

Many franchised new-car dealers have experienced the benefit of participating in an OSHA Consultation.  Willis Automotive Group principal Bill Willis, based in Smyrna, Del., has seen the Consultation program as beneficial to his dealership’s culture. Consultation results are reported to each department; he finds that a job well done results in a sense of pride for his staff.

Similarly, Issac Willis of Willis Chevrolet Buick in Smyrna, Del., has participated in the state of Delaware’s Department of Insurance Consultation, which he’s attributed to improving the dealership’s bottom line from the insurance discount received.

In addition to OSHA materials, NADA has a number of resources available to members to assist in workplace safety compliance, including Driven Guides on complying with OSHA’s Walking-Working Surfaces Rule, Updated HazCom Standard and The Control of Hazardous Energy Standard (Lockout/Tagout).

With the annual OSHA Safe + Sound Week upon us, it is a great time to evaluate your dealership’s workplace health and safety and review the tools available to enhance compliance.

Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. Information in this blog may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. Furthermore, each dealership should consult an attorney who is familiar with federal and state law applicable and the dealership’s operations to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter.