With Summer in full swing, we hope everyone’s enjoying their vacation and having a safe and smoke-free season. For your reading pleasure, as Fall is right around the corner, the latest Tracker is ready for download.
Between the covers you’ll find plenty of news, including a report on WCTD’s very successful (now again annual) Alberta golf tournament, which took place in late June and raised significant funds for the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
On a very sad note, we say farewell to our great friend and long-time supporter Wayne Budge, of Federated Insurance, who passed away on June 12th.
The height of summer can bring an array of challenges, including extreme temperatures that can be a danger to outdoor workers. We urge you to read the piece from the folks at Simply Safe (courtesy of WorkSafe BC) on what you can do to help protect your employees from heat stress.
TPMS, as always, continues to be in the news. Read up on why it’s important to make sure you or your techs have the latest in tool software for proper TMPS servicing. i.e. “Don’t Wait: Update!”
Plus, one final reminder that there’s still time to meet the fast approaching August 15th deadline to apply for WCTD Academic Scholarships. Please be sure to advise anyone eligible within your network to apply!
Your Winter Trackeris brimming with useful news and topical views. We’re thrilled to introduce our new, regular column: Safety Corner, which is contributed by well known safety experts Leigh-Ann Stewart and Debra Haldane, the people behind Simply Safe. In this issue they discuss how to properly handle a visit from your provincial Health & Safety officer and, a bonus, Haldane offers up excellent advice on how to prepare your fleet and staff for winter driving conditions.
The future belongs to our youth—which is why WCTD is particularly proud of its Scholarship Program. Meet the group of this year’s accomplished recipients on pages 10-11.
How secure are your premises? Are they properly protected to deter theft and damage? Chris Leahey of Federated Insurance has some solid ideas to pass on. (Page 26-27).
There’s more, of course, from details on the newly approved credit card surcharge to why it’s crucial to properly maintain your sensitive diagnostic equipment. All this, plus notes from president Tim Hollett and executive director Ray Geleta. And a heads up to ‘Save the Date’ for this spring’s AGM, to be held in Kelowna!
We certainly are facing a future that has been unprecedented in our lifetimes. Being an independent, smaller tire dealer myself, I find that my days now are mostly spent trying to gather the most up-to-date information and resources. Government programs all the way from federal down to municipal levels are constantly changing and being updated.
Your representatives at Western Canada Tire Dealers continue to do all that we can for you; and will share any and all information that we are able to provide. There are critical best practices that all locations should follow in regards to hygiene and sanitizing, and social distancing, not only to keep your customers safe and healthy but also your staff.
We will also try to send out the latest, most relevant information and links so that you are kept current on government programs that may be of great value to you and your employees. Please reach out to us if you have questions. We will do everything in our power to get you the answers you need.
Also, if you have suggestions to share please do that as well. Now is the time for us to unite and help one another weather a storm like we have never seen before.
• Ensure flexible sick leave policies consistent with public health guidance.
• Permit employees to stay home to care for a sick family member.
• Post signage asking anyone who is ill to not enter the premises.
• Require any employee who has recently traveled internationally (including to the U.S) to self quarantine for 14 days.
• Require employees to wash hands frequently and thoroughly, not to touch their faces, and use hand sanitizer (at least 60-95% alcohol) as needed.
• Post clearly worded hygiene reminders in appropriate locations, especially in washrooms and change areas.
• Request all employees and customers to maintain social distancing, both in the workplace and at home.
Best practices for workplace hygiene and sanitation include:
• Use disposable nitrile gloves when driving vehicles in and out and changing them after every vehicle.
• Use gloves or hand sanitizer immediately after handling customer’s keys.
• Use disposable steering wheel covers on every vehicle.
• Provide hand sanitizer to each technician for their individual use.
• Provide hand sanitizer and or sanitizing wipes to customers.
• Wipe down the credit card machine before and after each transaction. (Customers like to see it wiped down beforehand—provides reassurance and comfort). Where possible, use only tap / flash enabled units.
• Wipe down common areas before opening and once or twice during the day. For both customer and employee areas.
• Eliminate sharing of food and drink between employees (pizza lunches or even coffee, doughnuts or other commonly shared snacks)
• Eliminate items such as magazines / coffee stations temporarily to minimize chances of community spread.
• Be kind and be considerate of a everyone’s fears and questions.
Keep calm—WASH YOUR HANDS—and carry on!
Resources for business owners
Explore the option of utilizing a work share program instead of outright layoffs, and the procedures to implement:
