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S omething as simple as your choice of industrial cleaning wipes can make a difference to staff wellbeing and ensure you stay on the right side of hazardous waste regulations. Workshops are naturally greasy environments with oils, hydraulic fluids and many other liquids always being used, meaning leaks and spills are a regular occurrence. With these dripping onto surfaces and floors; which in turn makes for further issues as workers tread in the spillage and spread the liquid into other areas, keeping such areas clean and oil free can be a challenge, but necessary to ensure health, safety and compliance. Health, safety and compliance Slips and trips cause 20% of all injuries in the motor vehicle repair industry, according the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Another common issue is over-exposure to lubricants, for example, used engine oil, which can cause skin disorders such as dermatitis and event respiratory issues. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, employers are required to ensure the health and safety of all employees and must assess any potential risks and take appropriate action to put effective control measures in place. Failure to do so could result in fines or, in extreme cases, prison. Measures required under the Act include taking steps to control slip and trip risks as well as exposure to hazardous materials. Recommendations include cleaning up spills promptly and keeping absorbent materials to hand where there is a risk of a spillage. However, this can potentially generate additional challenges. Garages and workshops typically use blue paper roll or single use rags to absorb and mop up spills and clean tools and machine parts. But any blue roll or rags which are used to mop up spills and leaks involving, for example waste engine oil, potentially become classed as hazardous waste which then requires suitable management and disposal. To ensure compliance with legal regulations, businesses producing hazardous waste, including contaminated wipes, have a specific ‘duty of care’ concerning that waste and must classify, separate and store any waste safely before having it disposed of by an authorised hazardous wastes contractor. Storing contaminated wipes Contaminated wipes may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or pose a fire risk. To minimise risk to worker health and safety, they should be stored in a tightly closable container made of resistant material such as metal or special plastic (high-molecular, low-pressure polyethylene) before being disposed of. There are also issues with laundering contaminated wipes. They must never be put straight into a washing machine; doing so could not only damage the machine’s motor, but fumes may escape and potentially cause a fire, particularly as the washing machine’s motor heats up. Alternatives With companies under pressure to ensure high standards of health and safety practice, an alternative strategy to disposable paper towels and rags is emerging in the UK. The model is based on leasing industrial cleaning wipes as part of a full service that picks up the soiled wipes, cleans and returns them to a pre-agreed schedule. As part of the service, MEWA provides two storage containers for clean and soiled wipes. Made from robust high density polyethylene with a lid that creates a hermetic seal, it provides safe storage and transport for wipes contaminated with hazardous waste. This reusable system ensures that wipes and mats are always to hand and spills can be rapidly addressed to reduce the risks of exposure to chemicals and slipping, causing injury. The service also removes the significant burden of hazardous waste storage and disposal from companies, reducing overall costs as well as mitigating potential health and safety fines. Even small changes to a typical cleaning regime in garages and workshops can yield considerable benefits as well as helping protect employee health and well-being and aiding regulation compliance. 16 AFTERMARKET NOVEMBER 2021 BUSINESS www.aftermarketonline.net CLEANLINESS IN THE WORKSHOP Cleanliness in workshops is critical and especially when it comes to health, safety and compliance says MEWA BY Günes Yenen, UK Country Manager, MEWA