Equipment Lockout & Slip-Hazard Safety: the full procedure
Keep the crew safe around powered equipment and wet floors by following lockout/tagout and slip-hazard controls before any service or cleanup.
- Applies to: All staff; service-authorized staff for LOTO
- Frequency: Every service event; daily floor checks
- Scope: Covers the business routine for keeping people safe around conveyors, pumps, dryers, and wet surfaces. ALL energy-control procedures, machine guarding, and PPE DEFER to OSHA 1910.147 Lockout/Tagout, the equipment manufacturer’s manual, and the business safety plan. Only trained/authorized staff perform LOTO.
What you need
- Lock-out devices and personal locks/tags
- Written LOTO program (owner-provided)
- Equipment manufacturer manual
- Wet-floor signs
- Non-slip footwear
- Machine guards in place
The procedure, step by step
- Stop and call qualified help for any jam or fault — Untrained staff never reach into a conveyor, brush, or pump — stop the equipment and get an authorized person.
- Lock out before any service or clearing — Authorized staff isolate and lock/tag every energy source (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, water) per OSHA 1910.147 and the manufacturer’s manual before touching moving parts.
- Verify zero energy — Confirm the equipment cannot start and stored energy is released before any hands go in — try-start to verify, per the written program.
- Keep guards on the equipment — Never run the conveyor, dryers, or brushes with a guard or conveyor-pit cover removed; report missing guards immediately.
- Control wet-floor and trip hazards — Place wet-floor signs, route hoses out of walk paths, and squeegee standing water; treat the floor as slippery at all times.
- Wear required footwear and PPE — Use non-slip footwear and any PPE the task and safety plan require in wet, powered areas.
- Restore and remove locks correctly — Only the person who applied a lock removes it; replace guards and confirm the area is clear before re-energizing.
Quality check before you finish
- Only authorized staff perform LOTO; others stop and call
- Energy isolated and verified zero before any service
- All machine guards and conveyor-pit covers in place
- Wet-floor signs posted and standing water cleared
- Hoses kept out of walk paths
- Non-slip footwear/PPE worn in wet powered areas
- Locks removed only by the person who applied them
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Car Wash 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 1910.147 Lockout/Tagout (https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.147)
- OSHA-ICA Alliance (slips/trips/falls) (https://www.osha.gov)
- Equipment manufacturer manual (https://www.carwash.org)
About Free Car Wash Lockout & Slip Safety SOP
Free printable car wash SOP for lockout/tagout and slip-hazard control — all energy control deferred to OSHA 1910.147 and the manual.
How to use
- Read the full procedure top to bottom before the work — the SOP runs in order and each step builds on the last.
- Toggle Ink-saver (black & white) for a cheaper mono print for the binder; leave it off for the full-color version.
- Click Print SOP to print or save as PDF. Print one per crew, laminate it for the binder, or attach it to the job in your scheduling system.
- Train new hires on it and have staff sign off. Found something out of date? Use the feedback link — flagged SOPs are re-researched against the source list.
Frequently asked questions
Who is allowed to clear a conveyor jam?
Only trained, authorized staff perform lockout/tagout and service powered equipment; everyone else stops the machine and calls for qualified help. Energy must be isolated and verified at zero before any hands go near moving parts. All energy-control steps defer to OSHA 1910.147, the manufacturer’s manual, and your safety plan.
How does a car wash control slip hazards?
Treat the floor as slippery at all times — post wet-floor signs, squeegee standing water, keep hoses out of walk paths, and require non-slip footwear. OSHA and the International Carwash Association publish guidance on preventing slips, trips, and falls in car washes. Specific controls defer to that guidance and your business safety plan.
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