In brief
Car wash businesses work with small teams, but their risks are large: electrical machines and extension cables on constantly wet floors, a pressurised water jet that can pierce the skin, alkaline pre-wash and acidic wheel cleaners, a foam tank under pressure and an exit area that ices over in winter. The most effective measures are simple: a 30 mA residual current device and water-resistant wiring, never pointing the gun at a person, gloves and goggles chosen according to the SDS, and an annual periodic inspection of the foam tank.
Car wash safety: small businesses, big risks
In Bursa and the surrounding provinces, car wash and car detailing businesses usually work with teams of a few people, in an industrial estate, next to a petrol station or on the ground floor of a building. Being small does not reduce their obligations. Since the Constitutional Court ruling annulled the postponement for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, every car wash business that employs staff, whatever its hazard class, is obliged to assign an OHS specialist and a workplace physician. In less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, the employer can also carry out this service personally after completing the Ministry’s training; pre-employment and periodic examinations are excluded from this. You can see your times according to your business’s class with the OHS obligation calculator tool.
In terms of car wash safety, the risks fall under five headings:
| Risk | Where does it arise? | Basic measure |
|---|---|---|
| Electric shock | Cables, sockets, machines and panels on wet floors | 30 mA residual current device, water-resistant wiring, no cables on the floor |
| Water jet injury | Pressure washer gun, damaged hose | Never pointing the gun at a person, trigger lock, hose checks |
| Chemical burns and dermatitis | Pre-wash, wheel cleaner, polish | Gloves suited to the SDS, goggles, dosing system |
| Tank under pressure | Foam machine and compressor tank | Annual periodic inspection, safety valve, not opening the lid under pressure |
| Slips and falls | Foamy, oily and, in winter, icy floors | Drainage, non-slip shoes, measures against icing |
Electricity in wet environments: the most deadly risk
Water increases both the likelihood and the severity of electric shock. When an employee with wet hands and feet touches an extension cable lying in water or a machine with damaged insulation, the current passing through their body is much higher than in a dry environment. In car washes, the electricity in wet environments risk is concentrated at these points: extension cables and reels dragged across the floor, sockets opening onto the washing area, the electrical panel in the splash zone, and damaged cables on vacuum and polishing machines.
Annex 1, item 8 of the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Workplace Buildings and Annexes requires residual current devices complying with the principle of selectivity to be installed in the workplace’s main and sub-distribution panels. Devices used to protect human life have a rated residual current of 30 mA; every circuit supplying the washing area should be behind this protection. For selecting the device and measuring earthing, see our article on earthing and residual current devices. In practice, check the following:
- Water tightness: The protection class of sockets, plugs and light fittings in the washing area must be suitable for water. The second digit of the IP code indicates protection against water: 4 means protection against splashing water, 5 against water jets and 6 against powerful water jets. Household sockets with a low protection class are not used where the washing jet can reach them directly.
- Cable routing: Cables are carried not on the floor but on reels hanging from the ceiling or along the wall, at a height where water does not collect. Joints are not “repaired” with tape; the cable is replaced.
- Panel: The electrical panel is kept outside the washing area, with its cover closed and locked and the area in front of it clear. For details, see electrical panel safety.
- Periodic inspection: The internal electrical installation and earthing are inspected by authorised persons at least once a year under Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation.
For first response steps in an electric shock, see our article on first response to electric shock; the most important rule is not to touch the casualty until the current has been cut off.
The pressure washer: the water jet is a tool
A pressure washer forces water out of a narrow nozzle at high pressure. Just as this jet strips paint and mud, it can also pierce skin. Injection injuries caused by a water jet look like a small hole from the outside, but water and dirt spread under the skin, between muscles and tendons. This type of injury needs to be assessed in an emergency department without delay, even if there is little pain.
The rules for pressure washing are these:
- The gun is never pointed at a person, an animal or electrical equipment; feet and boots are not “washed”.
- The trigger lock of the gun is engaged during breaks.
- Hoses and connections are visually checked every day; a swollen, cracked or crushed hose is replaced. A hose that breaks whips around.
- The nozzle and lance are chosen to suit the machine’s pressure and from parts recommended by the manufacturer.
- On hot water machines with burners, care is taken with water and casing temperatures. The exhaust of fuel-fired burners is not discharged into enclosed washing bays; carbon monoxide can accumulate in an enclosed space.
For splashback of water and dirt during high-pressure washing, goggles, a waterproof apron and non-slip boots are used. The noise of the machine and compressor can also create noise exposure during long periods of work; this is also addressed in the risk assessment.
Car wash chemicals and the foam machine
The products used in car washes are much more concentrated than household detergents. Reading the product label and safety data sheet (SDS) is the only reliable way to choose gloves and goggles.
| Product type | Typical property | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-wash and snow foam shampoo | Mostly alkaline | The concentrate can be corrosive to eyes and skin; dry skin and dermatitis |
| Wheel and rust cleaner | Mostly acidic | Some products contain fluoride compounds (e.g. ammonium bifluoride); keep the special first aid in the SDS ready |
| Engine and grease degreaser | Solvent or strong alkali | Inhaling vapour, flammability, skin contact |
| Polish and wax | May contain solvents | Vapour indoors, flammability |
| Tyre shine | Silicone and solvent | Slippery floors |
Using a dosing pump or proportioner, instead of diluting concentrated products by hand in amounts judged by eye, reduces both exposure and waste. For the general rules of dilution and working with corrosives, see our article on working with acids and bases. Wet work dermatitis is common on hands in contact with water and detergent all day; long-cuff nitrile gloves, keeping the inside of the gloves dry and moisturising at the end of work reduce this risk. For details, read our article on occupational dermatitis.
A foam machine is a tank that foams detergent with compressed air. Because the tank works under pressure, it is a pressure vessel. Annex III of the Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment makes pressure vessels such as air and gas receivers and compressor tanks subject to periodic inspection at least once a year; the foam tank and the compressor tank supplying it should also be considered within this scope. In daily use, pay attention to the following:
- The tank lid is not opened until the pressure inside has been fully released.
- The pressure gauge and safety valve must be in working order; the valve is not plugged.
- The manufacturer’s label, working pressure and date of the last periodic inspection must be legible on the tank.
- A tank showing corrosion, dents or weld cracks is taken out of use.
For compressor tanks and other pressure vessels, see our article on pressure vessels.
Icing and cold in the winter months
Winter brings two separate risks for car wash businesses. The first is icing: water dripping from vehicles and overflowing from the washing area freezes overnight in the entrance and exit areas and on the pavement. The first job in the morning is to check these areas, salt or grit icy patches and keep the drainage channels clear. Non-slip, waterproof and insulated work shoes are essential in winter.
The second is the combined effect of cold and wet. Working in the cold in wet clothing quickly lowers body temperature; spare dry workwear and warm-up breaks are planned. Gas cylinder or fuel heaters used to heat washing bays carry a carbon monoxide risk indoors; for details, see our articles on carbon monoxide poisoning from heaters and stoves and, for general measures, OHS in the winter months.
Vehicle movement, training and first aid
A risk often overlooked in car washes is the vehicle itself. An employee caught between vehicles can be crushed when a customer drives into the bay or a washed vehicle is driven out. Having vehicles driven only by a designated employee, having one person guide the vehicle into the bay, and keeping the handbrake on and the engine off during washing are simple but effective rules.
Before starting work, employees should be informed about electricity, pressurised water, chemicals and emergencies; a first aid kit and eyewash facilities should be easily accessible. For what to do after a chemical splash, see our article on chemical splashes to the eye. At Bursa Sistemer OSGB, we plan the risk assessment, instructions and site checks for your car wash business under our occupational safety specialist service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are OHS services mandatory for a car wash business?
Yes. Every business that employs staff falls under Law No. 6331. Since the Constitutional Court ruling also annulled the postponement for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, the obligation to assign an OHS specialist and a workplace physician applies to small businesses as well. In small businesses in the less hazardous class, the employer can carry out the service personally after completing the Ministry’s training.
Can extension cables be used on wet floors?
Extension cables and reels without a protection class suitable for water should not be used on wet floors. Cables are carried raised off the floor and the circuit is protected by a 30 mA residual current device.
What should we do if an employee is hit on the hand by pressurised water?
If the skin appears to have been pierced, go to the emergency department without waiting, even if the wound is small and the pain slight. In water jet injuries, water and dirt can spread into the tissue, and delay can have serious consequences.
Is a periodic inspection of the foam machine required?
The foam machine’s tank is a vessel that works under pressure. Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation makes pressure vessels subject to periodic inspection at least once a year; the tank and the compressor tank supplying it should be assessed within this scope.
A certified specialist matched to your hazard class: site inspections, approved logbook, training plan, annual plan and report follow-up.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.