June 2020

48 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2020 BUSINESS www.aftermarketonline.net F or garages, leaks and spills are part of the working environment. For most, the cleaning and disposal of liquids like fuels, hydraulic fluid and lubricating oils involves little more than blue roll and drip trays. But is this safe, compliant, reliable and economical? Commercial vehicles are the bedrock of the modern industrial economy, transporting pallet freight, bulk liquids, passengers and parcels. In the UK alone, around half a million commercial vehicles are operating on a daily basis and each may travel hundreds of thousands of miles during its opera-tional life. At present LCVs are more vital than ever, providing home deliveries to millions of UK HEALTH AND SAFETY: KEEP COMPLIANT WHILE CLEANING MEWA Textile Management discuss how to keep the workshop clean, but also health and safety compliant – a particularly relevant issue currently households, and many garages will be working on these as well as cars. Regular servicing is key to keeping these vehicles on the road but presents a number of unique challenges for service and repair businesses. Commercial vehicles typically contain diesel fuel oil but a multitude of other liquids are also present in considerable quantities. Lubricating oil requires regular replacement to ensure the health of an internal combustion engine and related elements like the vehicle transmission. However, in addition to fuels and mineral engine oils, commercial vehi-cles are also likely to hold materials such as ATF, EP90, hydraulic and brake fluids, engine coolant and antifreeze, as well as battery acid and screen wash. Each of these materials potentially represent environmental and health and safety hazards for the vehicle service industry. Contact with oils and fuels is noted as a factor in the skin condition dermatitis, for example. UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance notes that the disease is up to seven times more likely among motor vehicle repair workers than the average UK worker. In response, HSE recommends the prompt clean-up of spills to reduce exposure risks and limit the chances of other hazards like slips and trips. In fact, many of the liquids found in commercial vehicle are specifically denoted as hazardous materials.