Contaminated air related to auto body repair and paint work can cause health problems ranging from bronchitis to cognitive issues to cancer.

All workers exposed to hazardous air must know how to protect themselves by using an appropriate respirator. This requires understanding the different kinds of respirators, how to ensure a proper respirator fit, the need for regular medical evaluations, and more.

Again, OSHA requires a written plan to be in place for these issues. Check out KPA’s powerful tools for creating and managing OSHA-related plans and reporting.

Learn more about respiratory protection.

Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common workplace injuries, which makes them a prime candidate for a safety meeting topic.

Your employees should be aware of the causes and risk factors of these injuries (such as wet and uneven surfaces, trip hazards from power cords and power strips, and general poor housekeeping) along with how to protect themselves.

And if you have employees who work on elevated surfaces (defined by OSHA as four feet or higher), you’ll need to take even more precautions.

Learn more about slips, trips, and falls.

Due to the Electric Vehicle (EV) boom, forklift usage at dealerships has become more prevalent, introducing a suite of potential hazards. Loads can fall and crush people. Forklifts can tip over, injuring drivers and workers nearby. Pedestrians can get hit, which is especially common in workplaces like dealerships where many people are moving around on foot.

Learn more about forklifts.

Electric Vehicle servicing introduces new compliance questions and challenges for dealerships: high voltage electricity, battery fires, and special shipping or storage needs for EV batteries. Although shops will typically have fully-certified EV technicians on staff, non-certified employees must also be aware of the hazards.

Check out the EV Safety Hub for a deeper dive into how to keep your workers safe.

PPE such as goggles, masks, harnesses, and gloves protect your employees from various hazards and injuries. Deliver a safety meeting to make sure your workforce knows the types of PPE they need to wear—and how to wear it properly—as well as the fundamentals of PPE inspections and maintenance.

Learn more about PPE.

Operating vehicles at a dealership can create hazards both on the lot and in the building (picture an employee zipping through the shop on their way to a bay).

Is there a known property speed limit? How is it enforced? Do you need to install traffic mirrors on blind corners? Are employees driving through the shop with a vehicle’s hood up? These are all potential areas where safety meeting training and related procedures can reduce accidents and save lives.

Check out a sample of our safe driving online training.

To state the obvious, using drugs on the job has countless harmful implications. Examples include loss of time, reduced alertness and productivity, unexplained absences, and drastically increased potential for accidents. It’s crucial to bring attention to these issues by making them part of your safety meetings.

You can also refer to KPA’s Substance Abuse Checklist.

Workplace violence training typically covers effective prevention strategies as well as how to respond to disgruntled employees, active shootings, bomb threats, and suspicious packages. 

KPA’s workplace violence training includes actionable tips for dealing with these types of extreme situations.

In its most basic form, first aid is initial emergency care given to an ill or injured person, just until a professional medical service arrives in place. It can help save lives, hinder temporary and long-term disabilities, and prevent any emergency situation from becoming worse. With this in mind, it makes a good business strategy to train your employees on the basics of first aid as it will help you secure a healthier, safer workplace environment for your workers.

A fire at your facility can jeopardize lives and property. Besides highlighting the importance of being prepared, your workforce should know how to prevent fires, how to effectively contain a fire if one breaks out, and the details of your emergency action plan.

Sample KPA’s Fire Prevention training online training.

KPA’s Fire Prevention for On-Site Training

Fatigue is an easily overlooked safety consideration. It can cause distraction and make it challenging for people to recall and adhere to basic safety protocols. Train your people to be aware of fatigue–and its potential for serious issues–and provide them with a clear path for reporting and dealing with fatigue concerns.

Dealerships have a unique challenge with winter weather because they often move hundreds of vehicles around the lot to remove snow and ice. As a result, employees travel across slippery surfaces, exposing themselves to injury. Other winter hazards range from improper footwear to the spread of seasonal illness–even the lack of a designated driver to chauffeur staff after the office holiday party.

Is your workforce prepared for the winter weather? We’ve collected many tips in our Winter Safety Toolkit.

Excessive temperatures, hurricane season, destructive wildfires, and other such concerns are unique to the summer season–and seem to intensify by the year. So, leverage a safety meeting to ensure your staff is aware of hot-weather threats and how to respond to them.

Want to learn more about staying cool in the heat? We’ve collected some suggestions on how to keep your employees safe.

Do your employees know how to prevent spills, leaks, and other toxic chemical exposures? Are they prepared to act quickly in the event of an emergency?

Discussing this topic at a safety meeting will give your employees the necessary tools and knowledge. You could even conduct a simulated chemical spill scenario.

In the meantime, take KPA’s Chemical Spills and Leaks Pop Quiz.

The EPA has numerous requirements governing the handling of hazardous waste.

Plan one or more safety meetings to ensure your employees are knowledgeable about crucial subjects like hazardous waste regulations, waste determination, generator status, storage, labels, inspections, accumulation limits, and waste pickup.

Want some additional tips? Learn these 4 hazardous waste management and environmental documentation best practices.