The UK-wide Good Garage Scheme has launched a new initiative to help garage owners better protect themselves against workshop accidents. The 3000-member organisation, backed by leading trade-only treatments company Forté, has launched a "health & safety support scheme" for member garages to help them fully understand the need to protect their business by putting proper health and safety policies in place.
“The health and safety initiative is yet another major benefit for Good Garage Scheme members, offering a cost-effective way of improving health and safety standards while helping staff and customers avoid potential accidents.”
Health & safety checks on garages are normally carried out by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and local authority environmental health officers. For breaches of regulation, garage owners can face expensive fines of up to £20,000 in the lower courts and even prison sentences in the event of staff sustaining serious accidents or fatalities.
The Good Garage Scheme is working with specialist health and safety advisory service, HS Department, to implement health and safety policies, risk assessments, records and forms needed to give some members that vital peace of mind when going about their everyday business. Dennis Perkins, from The HS Dept, who has worked in the motor trade for over 20 years and understands the needs of independent garages, said: "Health and safety isn't just about protecting people. That's important, but it's also about protecting the business and the business owner. The Health and Safety Executive do regular checks, as do environmental health officers from local councils. Companies can be fined if accidents have happened and some cases can carry prison sentences of up to two years."
The HS Dept Starter packs cost £450 for a one-off investment, while the £650 advanced package includes a site visit to help put the policy in place. Packages can also be amended to accommodate changes in legislation and there is the option of access, via a monthly subscription, to the HS Dept advice line along with legal cost insurance.
Anndi Sheppard, Marketing Manager of the Good Garage Scheme, said: "By offering the health & safety starter kit we are providing member garages without a policy in place with another valuable service, which helps protect garage staff from injury, while having the right procedures and policies in place to satisfy HSE and local authority regulations."
The initiative, details of which are on the Good Garage Scheme member benefits website www.ggsbenefits.co.uk, is the latest in a host of benefits enjoyed by Scheme members. Other benefits include:
• Major marketing campaigns covering TV and radio advertising.
• Free graphic design service, including logos and literature.
• Free legal support.
• Discounted insurance.
• Discounted parts washer and waste disposal service.
Anndi added: "The health and safety initiative is yet another major benefit for Good Garage Scheme members, offering a cost-effective way of improving health and safety standards while helping staff and customers avoid potential accidents."
Launched by Forté over four years ago, the Good Garage Scheme has more than 3,000 members comprising of independent garages and workshops where customers are assured of service excellence.
Now widely accepted as a mark of quality for independent garages across the UK, Good Garage Scheme garages are recognised as providing exceptional service to their customers based on a rigorously monitored mandatory code of practice. Customers looking for their nearest Good Garage can quickly locate one using the easy-to-use search facility on the Good Garage Scheme website - www.goodgaragescheme.com.