Shop Opening & Closing: the full procedure

A repeatable open/close routine that powers equipment up and down safely, verifies bays and lifts are ready, and secures vehicles, keys, and the building.

• Applies to: Shop owner / lead technician / opening & closing tech.
• Frequency: Every business day — once at open, once at close.
• Scope: Covers building access, equipment power-up/shutdown, bay/lift readiness, and end-of-day security. Any energy-isolation or repair work on equipment defers to the shop’s OSHA lockout/tagout procedure.

What you need

• Key / alarm fob
• Opening & closing checklist
• Key cabinet / lockbox
• Air compressor drain valve
• Flashlight

The procedure, step by step

1. Unlock & disarm — Enter, disarm the alarm within the grace window, and confirm no overnight alerts (water, fire, security) before proceeding.
2. Lights & climate on — Switch on shop and bay lighting, exhaust/ventilation, and HVAC so the space is lit and safe before any vehicle moves.
3. Power up equipment — Energize the air compressor, scan tools, and bay equipment, then verify the compressor builds pressure and the tank drain is closed.
4. Bay & lift readiness check — Walk each bay for clear floors, no leaks, and that every lift is fully lowered with arm restraints and locks functioning before first use.
5. Stage keys & work orders — Confirm customer keys are tagged in the locked key cabinet and matched to their work orders so nothing is mishandled during the day.
6. End-of-day equipment shutdown — Lower all lifts to rest, power down equipment, and drain the air compressor tank of condensate to prevent corrosion and pressure hazards.
7. Secure vehicles & keys — Park customer vehicles in agreed spots, lock them, and return every key to the locked cabinet — never leave keys in vehicles overnight.
8. Final sweep & lock up — Check for smoldering rags/heat sources, switch off non-essential power and lights, set the alarm, and lock all doors and bay overhead doors.

Quality check before you finish

• Alarm disarmed at open and armed at close.
• All lifts fully lowered before lock-up.
• Air compressor tank drained of condensate.
• No open flames, hot tools, or oily-rag piles left running.
• Every customer key accounted for in the locked cabinet.
• All bay doors and exterior doors locked.
• Overnight alerts (water/fire/security) reviewed.

This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Auto Repair Shop business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.

Sources

• OSHA — Compressed-Air Systems & Energy Controls (osha.gov)
• Oregon OSHA — Lockout/Tagout for Auto Repair (osha.oregon.gov)