Safety is one of the most crucial aspects of running a quick lube shop, and your shop will undergo routine OSHA and EPA inspections to ensure key regulations are followed.  

As part of iFLEX at AAPEX this year, Kevin Dwyer, product manager at GMG EnviroSafe, led a session on what can trigger an inspection and how shops can react. During his presentation, Dwyer broke down every aspect of the process, including employee and employer rights, how to respond during each stage, common violations and how to prevent them, and what to do after an inspection. 

Prevention Measures 

Dwyer hit on a few key points, one of which being the need for shops to prepare ahead of time. Preparedness can be neglected in several ways, including skipping required employee “right to know” training, which Dwyer said is required by OSHA and needs to happen every year. 

Not only that, but shops need to document that these training sessions took place. Without those records, they may not be able to show OSHA that employees completed it. 

“If you don't have documentation to prove to OSHA that your employees are actually doing the training, then to them you never did anything,” Dwyer said. 

Shops should also be conducting their own internal routine safety checks on a myriad of things, from keeping exits unobstructed to ensuring fire extinguishers are serviced, and lifts are inspected annually. 

“Just little things that should be on top of mind that's easy to take care of, but that shop owners can forget about,” explained Dwyer. 

Knowing How to React 

After an inspection from OSHA, if any issues were identified, shops will need to spend time addressing the issues OSHA found and stay on top of them. This can involve educating employees about safety issues or training needs that were raised during the inspection. This helps build a broader safety culture and, in turn, helps identify future issues ahead of time. Getting cited again for the same violation can result in a more costly repeat citation, and OSHA may return later or after another complaint, so it’s important to resolve whatever issue at hand in the timeframe outlined by OSHA. 

“If they get you for that same violation that you got you for the first time, it’s called a repeat violation, and that citation is going to cost a lot more than what it was the first time around," Dwyer said. 

Dwyer’s session also covered recent changes in OSHA inspections, specifically OSHA’s Emphasis Programs: enforcement campaigns focused on lifts, trucks, and machinery. As part of this, OSHA is handling citations slightly differently than in past years, creating another factor for quick lubes to be aware of. 

Attendees at Dwyer’s session learned not just what an inspection consists of, but specifics on the documentation needed to ace one. Dwyer can provide step-by-step guidance on training employees, preparing documentation, and how to respond quickly and effectively if citations are issued. 

In addition, complimentary inspection templates—typically priced at $500—were available to attendees, as well as to PAMA members who reach out after the presentation but couldn't attend. 

“Attendees learn what to expect during an inspection, how to reduce uncertainty, and how to avoid costly fines by staying compliant and organized,” Dwyer shared.