Organization & Cleanliness

They say that "cleanliness is next to godliness." This week our Electronic Diesel Engine Controls class was cancelled to due illness, so I will use this week's blog post to focus on a general issue which may be a problem for some automotive and diesel shops.

If you were to walk into our shop right now, you might find things like this:

I don't think this is where we put the grease gun after use.

This is just sloppy and unprofessional.

My reflection:


Without an organized shop, tools will be harder to find, may end up lost, stolen, or even present a tripping or other hazard if left on the floor. Leaving tools where it is most convenient instead of where they belong after use is lazy and unprofessional.

Cleaning up messes is part of the job. Oil, coolant, and other fluid spills are not only an inconvenient mess, they are a safety hazard. Clean them up ASAP! This means more than throwing floor dry on it and driving off.

Finally, does leaving trash laying around everywhere really need an explanation?

It reflects poorly on the professionalism of a shop and the character of its technicians when they cannot be organized, clean up messes, or even clean up their own trash. It would be the first and last time I would ever let a shop work on my vehicle where the technicians used it as a coffee table.