We spend a large portion of our weekdays at our jobs — maybe even Saturdays too. The atmosphere of the workplace definitely has an effect on our productivity.
A recent article on Inc.com (a terrific resource for small business information, by the way) titled “The World’s Coolest Offices,” showed some incredible examples of uniquely designed offices and workspaces.
I realize that a repair shop’s bays are not usually known for their “cool” quotient, but there are many ways to make the environment as cool as possible — from the ground up.
Flooring Options
You don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the shop floor, but you do spend a lot of time standing on it! Floor coatings can make the shop not only look cleaner and nicer, but also much easier to stand on all day. These coatings even make it easier to clean up when spills occur.
Speaking of spills…are you keeping the right clean-up supplies on hand, within easy reach so techs will clean up spills as they happen? There are some great new environmentally friendly products on the market that not only make clean-up easier, but also the disposal of the waste more convenient and less hazardous.
Storage
You and the other technicians may have your own toolboxes, but what’s the storage like for the rest of the supplies, books and chemicals around the shop? Companies now offer customizable systems, so you can choose which parts will fit and work best at your shop. Take some time to clean up these shelves and organize them in a way that helps the techs find what they need fast, saving time each day.
Overhead
Keep air hoses off the ground and techs safer from tripping with quality reels that are mounted overhead. Reels not only make hose handling more efficient, they also reduce the risk of injuries from tripping hazards and save costs of replacing hoses that get run over. Exhaust gases can be a real problem in the shop, and opening windows and doors does not always provide adequate ventilation to protect workers (and customers) from potentially fatal gases. Exhaust hoses can provide a solution, especially in colder climates this winter.
Ask your team what they’d like to do to improve their workspace. Maybe there’s an area of the shop that could use some better lighting or ventilation. They like to know that their input makes a difference. And check out TechShop’s Buyer’s Guide as well. (It’s online now, with a new printed issued coming out next month.) Improvements to your shop can improve your image and employee morale, as well as your shop’s productivity and efficiency.
Do you have a shop that your employees are happy to come to because of the environment you’ve creatively provided? Send us a photo and tell us about it. We’ll include it in an upcoming issue of TechShop. Just send to [email protected].
