Protect your shop and keep customers safe during the pandemic.

We’re well into the COVID-19 pandemic and though most of us are well versed on what to do, it’s still important to follow guidelines to prevent the virus from spreading.

Many automotive repair shops use silicone hoses and components when replacing coolant hoses and fuel lines. If you’re a shop that’s up and running, follow along in today’s post for tips to keep your business healthy and safe.

The Shop

While your auto body shop may be operating on a skeleton crew for the time being, it’s still important to take precautions for everyone’s health and safety. To better prevent and avoid exposure we’ll outline some considerations to take.

Stay Home If You Feel Sick

This can’t be stressed enough. Even if you know your coughing and sniffling is from allergies, it's important to stay home. From a cold to even feeling a little off, stay home if you’re not 100%. This is important for everyone — car mechanics and all — to follow when they’re working in the shop.

Incorporate Temp Checks

Upon everyone showing up for their shift, have a designated person do temperature checks to ensure no one is working with a fever.

Wear Disposable Gloves

When you’re not under the hood, use disposable gloves while you’re at the computer or around shared surfaces such as operating some of the other auto body equipment. It’s also important to enact a protocol that sanitizes shared tools, such as spraying them off with a sanitizer after you’re finished with them.

Furnish Your Front Desk With Plexiglass

To protect your front desk employees when speaking to customers, install a plexiglass shield at the front desk and make a sign that requires masks in the building.

Don’t Allow Visitors

From product vendors to non-employees, don’t allow people in the shop who don’t work there to mitigate contact and exposure.

Customers

Customers — and their cars — are what keep you in business, so it is important to create protocols that also keep them safe, in addition to those who are working in your shop.

Disinfect

Disinfecting different areas of your shop is integral and you’ll probably spend more time than ever doing it, so it’s important to note where you might need to implement disinfection.

Pens are a big one. Customers use pens to sign documents, so create a system where you have a place for clean and used pens. Customers’ keys are also important to disinfect right when you get them, so be sure to wipe them down thoroughly.

It’s also very important to disinfect a customer’s car after they drop it off. This means wiping down the exterior handles and parts of the interior like the steering wheel, armrests, and other commonly touched areas.

Limit The Number Of Employees In Certain Areas

Create a schedule that limits exposure to other employees by reducing the number of people on any given shift and alternating lunch breaks so only one person is in the break room at once.

Decrease Customer Contact

Have your customers drop their car off and leave their keys in a secure area such as a key lockbox. If you need to get more information, wear a mask and stand six feet or more apart.

Limit The Number Of Appointments

When you can, cap the number of appointments you have at one time to limit the number of people coming in and out of your shop.

Get PPE From Flex Technologies

Flex Technologies carries a collection of PPE products such as the KN95 mask and disposable surgical masks. Help keep your business healthy and thriving with Flex Technologies today! For more information about our high-performance silicone hoses, contact us!