Safety and environmental training have become an integral part of the automotive and collision repair industry. S/P2 (Safety and Pollution Prevention), the preferred e-learning program introduced by CCAR in 2002, addresses key safety and pollution prevention issues for automotive and collision repair professionals with many uses for keeping current with regulatory requirements - including use as the MONTHLY safety training material.

The S/P2 safety training is based on U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, which require that personnel be trained on safety regulations at the beginning of their employment, and at least annually thereafter. Completion of the S/P2 course is one great way to meet this requirement with confidence.

Many standards promulgated by OSHA explicitly require the employer to train employees in the safety and health aspects of their jobs. Other OSHA standards make it the employer's responsibility to limit certain job assignments to employees who are "certified," "competent," or "qualified" - meaning that they have had training, in or out of the workplace. These requirements reflect OSHA's belief that training is an essential part of every employer's safety and health program for protecting workers from injuries and illnesses.

S/P2 provides effective, affordable training on environmental and safety concerns to every employee and student in the automotive repair industry. Its courses target over three dozen specific issues for three industry segments - mechanical repair, collision repair, and heavy-duty fleet maintenance - and are designed to help reduce injury, illness and environmental impact.

Monthly "Safety Meetings" including training topics are an important and required part of OSHA compliance. The S/P2 training program can meet these goals. Supervisors can use material mastered in the online training system to present short discussions as topics each month. Employees can then be instructed to log in to the S/P2 program to review and complete the corresponding module. Research shows that people truly learn a topic only after it has been presented three times in the training period. By using the S/P2 course material and highlighting a different module each month, Supervisors will emphasize to employees that the shop takes safety training seriously.

Three auto repair facilities in New York and Texas have been recognized by the Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) has as GreenLink Shops in May.

The GreenLink Shop status, an extension of CCAR's CCAR-GreenLink Environmental Compliance Assistance Center and S/P2 Safety and Pollution Prevention E-learning Program, is designed to promote consumer confidence in local automotive repair facilities' environmental/safety awareness and stewardship.

The new GreenLink Shops are:

• Sterling McCall Nissan Collision Center, Stafford, Texas
• Tedesco Auto Body, New Rochelle, N.Y.
• Wayside Auto Body, Jamaica, N.Y.                                

 "CCAR is proud to recognize these newest members of the GreenLink Shop program and their commitment to best practices in environmental and safety processes," said Daren Fristoe, CCAR President and Chief Operating Officer. "In addition, the GreenLink Shop designation also provides the shop with expanded messaging and branding opportunities in their marketplace, for consumers and potential employees."

A complete roster of GreenLink Shop participants is posted at www.ccar-greenlink.org/glsdirectory.html.

Repair facilities seeking the GreenLink Shop recognition must maintain high standards of excellence in environmental, health and safety (EHS) practices in four categories: business operations, employee training, safety compliance and environmental management. The CCAR initiative recognizes auto service facilities and collision repair shops, with separate criteria established for each type of business.

• Prohibit texting while driving. OSHA encourages employers to declare their vehicles "text-free zones" and to emphasize that commitment to their workers, customers, and communities.
• Establish work procedures and rules that do not make it necessary for workers to text while driving in order to carry out their duties.
• Set up clear procedures, times, and places for drivers' safe use of texting and other technologies for communicating with managers, customers, and others.
• Incorporate safe communications practices into worker orientation and training.
• Eliminate financial and other incentive systems that encourage workers to text while driving.