2020_ADN_V5_No3_web

INDUSTRY NEWS
STUDY SAYS:
This is the dirtiest
part of a car
If you need a new marketing strategy,
a recent study might give you the
ultimate opportunity. According to the
study, a car stereo is 371% (or four times)
dirtier than a communal office toilet seat.
According to a July report in The
Drive, a recent study conducted by
Compare the Market discovered the
top five dirtiest parts of a car’s interior.
“Compare the Market is an automotive
insurance comparison website based in
the United Kingdom, and its study involved
testing ten different vehicles using
high-end surface test swabs and computing
systems to determine Relative Light
Units (RLU). An RLU reading is then
compared to the amount of Adenosine
Triphosphate (ATP) collected during the
swab. Basically, the dirtier the test area,
the larger the ATP amount, producing a
higher RLU reading. A high RLU reading
means gross, dirty, germy, cringing
levels of disgust.”
The ten vehicles tested included
family cars, work vans and luxury vehicles.
Each of the following areas were
swabbed: The shifter, indicator stalks,
steering wheel, driver seatbelt and seat,
interior door handle, windshield, stereo/
touchscreen, and rearview mirror. The
study also swabbed a toilet seat at an
office building to have a comparison in
bacteria levels, the story said.
According to the results, the dirtiest
area of a car is the stereo and in second
place was the shifter, racking up an RLU
reading 331 percent higher than the toilet.
HERE ARE THE TOP 5
DIRTIEST AREAS:
1. Stereo
2. Gear Stick
3. Indicator
4. Steering Wheel
5. Handbrake
“Other results in this test showed that
a family car’s interior could be up to twice
as dirty as a work van. So, according to
this study, a contractor’s drywall dust-covered
F-150 is probably cleaner to eat in
than a new Lexus SUV with two car-seats
in the back,” the story said.
OSHA offers poster geared toward automobile
industry workers
A new poster, available in English and Spanish, lists steps to protect automotive service workers from exposure to coronavirus.
Steps to Protect Automotive Service
Workers from Exposure to Coronavirus
The following steps can help reduce the risk of exposure to the
coronavirus for automotive service workers:
Encourage workers to stay
home if they are sick.
Provide gloves and masks or
other face coverings.
Maintain at least six feet
between co‐workers and
customers, where possible.
Offer pick‐up and
drop‐off service.
Close or limit customers
in reception areas and
waiting rooms.
Use "no‐touch" options
for payments and
appointments.
Regularly clean and
disinfect all tools and
equipment.
Discourage the sharing of
tools and equipment.
Cover seats and
sanitize key fobs and
steering wheels before
and after service.
Encourage workers to
report any safety and
health concerns.
For more information, visit
www. osha.gov/coronavirus or
call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742).
18 | AUTO DETAILING NEWS | VOL. 5, NO. 3 • FALL 2020 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)
TTY 1-877-889-5627
www.osha.gov
OSHA 4070-08 2020