All types of business, from offices to shops, are associated with certain dangers. However, some are inherently riskier than others, and petrol forecourts fall into this category.
This means that if you’re in charge of a forecourt, it’s essential that you take the issue of safety extremely seriously, and part of this involves making sure that you have a suitable petrol station insurance policy in place that’s tailored to meet your business’ precise needs. More broadly, when you’re taking steps to make your forecourt as safe as possible, it’s worth asking yourself the following questions.
Are you storing fuel correctly?
The storage of fuel poses a number of risks. As well as potential explosions and fires, there is a danger of environmental damage. Also, people’s health can suffer if they handle fuel incorrectly. To minimise these risks, you’ll need to follow all the relevant health and safety regulations. This includes using suitable storage equipment and ensuring your storage tanks and pumps are properly monitored and maintained. It also means providing your personnel with the relevant training, putting appropriate wet stock management procedures in place and using warning signs to identify hazardous areas and possible sources of ignition.
To go one step further, there are also several monitoring and quick response safety systems for tanks and pumps. Installing this kind of relatively new technology can provide superb protection against leaks and spills arising from problems with fuel tanks, such as loss of pressure or corrosion related damage over time.
Do you have a good vehicle movement system in place?
When vehicles move around your forecourt, there is a risk that they will collide with other vehicles, structures or people. To prevent this from happening, you must have a safe traffic movement system in place – and this includes displaying clear information to drivers to show them how to move around your petrol station. You should also make sure there is a designated parking area away from fuel pumps and close to your shop. In addition, vulnerable structures like fuel tanks should be protected.
Have you taken steps to reduce the risk of slips and trips?
Sleet, snow, and ice, as well as fuel and oil spillages, all pose a slip hazard to your customers and workers. By having a supply of industrial salt mixed with fine gravel on your forecourt – and making sure your personnel are trained to spread this on the ground when it’s icy or in the event of a spill – you can reduce the risk of these accidents and the resulting public or employers’ liability claims. It might be a good idea to make sure your employees are properly trained and certified to be able to handle any hazardous situations that may arise. A 10 hour OSHA online training course can be completed and would be very helpful in ensuring a safe work environment.
Have you got good security measures in place?
There is always a chance that criminals will target your petrol station to steal goods or money. To protect your property, and to minimize the risk of violence towards your staff members, it’s important to have recorded close circuit television and panic alarms in place. CCTV footage is also immeasurably helpful to use as evidence in legal matters and for identifying which party is at fault in the instance of a public liability claim arising from a slip, trip, or fall on a forecourt or in a petrol station retail shop. You might want to consider extra security measures too. For example, you could use pay windows during the night. You may also want to look at websites such as Riot Glass who provide security glass for storefronts, shops, etc. to make sure that there is less chance of smash and grabs during the night.
It may be impossible to completely eliminate the dangers in these environments, but by taking steps like these, you can make your petrol station as safe as possible.
