Car Wash Hazards
Mike Yarnell
Compliance Assistant
November 8, 2011
Five Categories
•
•
•
•
•
Self service
Exterior rollover
Exterior only
Full service
Detail shop
Self Service
• Open bay having a coin-operated pressure
sprayer, and sometimes a foaming brush
connected to a large central pump
• Customer selects the option wanted, such
as “soap”, "rinse" and "wax" and uses the
equipment
• Timer shuts the power off after a certain
period
Exterior rollover
• Automated systems where the car is
driven by the customer into the bay
• Once the car is in the correct position, a
signal informs the driver to stop and place
the car in neutral
• Wash equipment moves around the car on
a track, performing a specific function,
such as applying soap, washing or rinsing
Exterior rollover
• Common at gas stations, where the price
is often discounted in conjunction with
buying a tank of gas
Exterior only
• Automated system where the car is driven
into the entrance of a long, tunnel-like bay
• The front tire, usually on the driver's side,
indexes into a conveyor system and the
driver places the car in neutral
• Conveyor guides the car through the bay,
where it passes several pieces of
equipment, each with a specific purpose
Full service
• Uses the same conveyor-based
automated system
• Interior is manually cleaned by attendants
• Some exterior services, such as handdrying and wheel-cleaning, are available
Detail shop
• May hand wash the car or use an automated
system
• Attendants completely clean and polish the car,
normally by applying wax and using a buffer to
remove the wax and polish the car
• These shops are often able to remove dull paint
and small scratches, steam clean carpets and
seats, brighten chrome, remove tar and perform
a variety of other services
Summary
• Employees have to attend, maintain and
be involved in all five types of car washes,
although there may be less hazards in a
self service bay or detail shop where the
washing is manual
• The following are potential hazards that
may be present in all car wash categories
Potential Chemical Hazards
• Certain pre-soak compounds used in
automated car washes are very alkaline
and corrosive and may be applied
manually
• Certain highly corrosive tire shine
compounds may be applied at the
beginning or end of the car wash via spray
nozzles
Potential Chemical Hazards
• Foaming agents for deep cleaning may be
hazardous
• Coatings, rinses, waxes and polish waterresistant compounds may be quite alkaline
or may cause dermatitis
Potential Chemical Hazards
• Agents to assist the rinse process and
certain waxes can be quite acidic
• Some chrome and wheel rim cleaning
chemicals contain hydrofluoric acid
• Car washes may also have laundries to
wash hand towels by using household
detergents and bleach
Airborne Chemicals
• Mists from sprayed cleaning agents
• Emissions from diesel and gasoline
engines
– Composed of a complex mixture of thousands
of different gases, vapors, and fine particles
– Diesel engine emissions may contain
potential cancer-causing substances such as
arsenic, benzene, formaldehyde, nickel and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Electrocution and Mechanical
Hazards
• A rollover system and other automated
systems may be controlled by a digital
control system
• This computerized system knows where
the car is located, engages the wash,
brush or rinse systems where required and
may also automatically shut off the system
when a car comes off of the conveyor to
prevent a collision with the car behind it
Exterior System Hazards
• Hydraulic system may be used which
powers all moving and rotating parts of the
machine
• Conveyor system has a chain which
rotates on axles at the beginning and end
of the conveyor track and has rollers that
catch the car’s front wheel and propels the
car through the wash tunnel at a slow
speed
Exterior System
• Mitter curtain that moves back and forth
across the car surface
• Scrubber brushes that rotate at high
velocity around the front, sides and rear of
car
• Large cylindrical brush top brush that
rotates on an axle perpendicular to the car
to clean / scrub the top of the car
Exterior System
• High pressure water tank and pump that
may feed all manual and automated spray
machines; jets may operate up to 1000
PSI
– Pre-soak may be applied manually with high
pressure water nozzles
– Main wash spray foam applicator
– Rinse / wax arches
– Undercarriage wash applicator
Exterior System
• Electrical motors may operate at up to 480 volts
to power the hydraulic system, the water
pressure pumps, chemical feed systems and hot
air dryers
• 120 volt lighting and power outlets
• Electrically powered water reclaim system
motors
• Manual power washers
• Electrically powered vacuums; either individually
powered or having one large vacuum canister
with a powerful air pump and many hoses
attached
Slips, Trips and Falls
• Accumulations of slippery soap, wax and other chemical
solutions on floor areas
Struck-by Hazards
• Being struck by customer-driven or employee
operated vehicles is a major hazard
• In all operations, a struck-by hazard exists either
by vehicle or mechanical equipment
• Employees can be struck by a vehicle as it
approaches or enters the bay, where it
disengages from the conveyor system, where it
is driven out, or where it heads to a finishing /
towel drying area
Applicable OSHA Standards
• Employers must conduct a workplace
hazard assessment
• PPE
– Adequate hand / eye / body protection when
handling corrosive chemicals and manual
spraying of treatment chemicals
OSHA Standards
• Lock out / Tag out
– In-house or vendor mechanic that maintains
the equipment
– Repair, replacement or maintenance of
conveyor chains, spinner brush belts or parts,
motor belts or repair of electrical motors or
equipment
– Cleaning of the wash tunnel areas where
there are moving machine parts
OSHA Standards
– In automated systems, cars can become
disengaged from the conveyor system
– In express systems, the customer may apply
the brakes, causing the roller to go under the
car - system may shut off automatically, but
the employer should develop training and a
policy to require shutoff every time this occurs
– LO/TO would not apply to this case
OSHA Standards
• Chemical hazard communication
– Chemicals can be highly corrosive
– Strong acids (rinses / waxes)
– Strong bases (alkaline soaps)
OSHA Standards
• Electrical
– Standard automated car washs operate on
480 volt power
– Electrical fixtures, if subject to spraying / wet
areas must be approved for wet locations
OSHA Standards
• Egress/exits
– Whether full or exterior service, safe egress
must be maintained from one end of the
tunnel to the other, or from all areas
employees may work
– Space may be limited and egress and exit use
must be maintained without obstructions or
locks
OSHA Standards
• Eye and body wash provisons
– Read the MSDS
– Garden hoses with regular water pressure
may be used for body drenching
– An eye wash, at a minimum, must be
available to employees
OSHA Standards
• Slips, trips and falls
– Along egress pathways and in other areas,
water, soap and slippery chemicals can
accumulate
– Mats or rough surfacing materials can be
used in problem areas
– Cleanliness must be maintained
OSHA Standards
• Noise and hearing conservation
– All machinery in a wash tunnel is inherently
noisy, particularly the blowers
– For employees stationed near blowers for an
extended period of time, the employer must
conduct a noise survey
– If employees are in constant motion and do
not stay in the tunnel or near blowers,
overexposure is unlikely
OSHA Standards
• Exhaust and chemical mists
– In an older or enclosed facility, vehicle
exhaust may accumulate causing elevated
exhaust component levels including carbon
monoxide
– During winter months if the tunnel uses
automated doors or plastic curtains, corrosive
mists may also accumulate
OSHA Standards
• Motor vehicle safety
– Use cones, signage and barricades at the
entry point into a car wash and at the exit
point when the car is put back into drive by
the operator after its released from the
conveyor system
– Motor vehicle safety guidelines available
through the International Car Wash
Association
– Commercial signage is also avaialble
OSHA Standards
• Equipment maintenance
– All equipment must be maintained according
to manfacturer requirements
– Equipment used while in disrepair may break
and project objects causing struck-by injuries
– The digital control system may include safety
shut-off controls and devices - it must work as
designed and be properly maintained
OSHA Standards
• The employer should establish danger
zones at entry and exit points where either
a customer driver or employee driver can
strike a worker
• Use of high visibility clothing is
recommended
OSHA Standards
• Employee training
– Adhering to all safety precautions
– Slips and falls
– Other safety risks that are present in the
working environment such as open pits in
lube bays
OSHA Standards
– Excessive noise especially near blowers at
the car exit
– Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
– Bursting high pressure hose in wash tunnel
– Lock out/Tag out
OSHA Standards
– Potential for a car fire
– Hazards associated with working in and
around moving vehicles in a confined area
– Moving equipment hazards within the car
wash tunnel
– Electrical shock hazards
– Chemical hazards and hazard communication