The past few weeks have been a hard reminder of how fast floodwater moves. This week, severe storms swept across the Midwest and Ohio Valley, bringing flash flooding to communities across the region, barely a month after catastrophic flooding tore through Texas Hill Country along the Guadalupe River in July and destroyed homes and businesses. For dealerships in the path of these storms, the risk does not end when the rain stops, and it often peaks during the cleanup. OSHA has released a set of three flood-safety infographics for outdoor workers, and the guidance lands squarely on how dealerships operate when storms hit. Across the three pieces, the agency covers the health hazards hidden in floodwater (pathogens, fuel and chemicals, submerged debris, displaced snakes and insects, and downed power lines, all of which call for PPE and safety perimeters), the way flood risk shifts with terrain (coastlines facing surge, hillsides prone to mudslides, and paved flash-flood zones where water rises fast), and the danger of moving vehicles through floodwater under the banner “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.” For a store with inventory parked outside and staff moving cars as conditions worsen, the throughline is simple: floodwater conceals dangers you cannot see, and no vehicle is worth putting an employee into moving water.
Where Dealers Get Hurt: The Cleanup
Cleanup is the longest and most dangerous phase of a flood, and it is where OSHA’s guidance gets most useful for dealers. Its cleanup fact sheet (Fact Sheet 3276) speaks directly to what staff face over the days they spend in flooded service bays, parts rooms, and showrooms hauling out water-logged inventory, which is exactly where injuries happen.
Before anyone goes in, a flooded building should be examined and certified safe by a registered professional engineer or architect. Do a preliminary inspection for structural stability, and probe standing water with a pole for pits, holes, and hidden objects before stepping in. And have a plan for reaching medical help ready before work starts.
Water-logged materials are deceptively heavy. OSHA advises teams of two or more for bulky objects, no single-person lift over 50 pounds, and lifting-assist devices where practical, along with frequent breaks and drinking water during a multi-day effort. Crews need the right gear, not whatever is in the trunk: watertight steel-toe boots, gloves, long pants, and safety glasses. OSHA specifically warns that sneakers will not stop punctures, bites, or crush injuries. A hard hat is needed where debris can fall, and a NIOSH-approved dust respirator is needed for the moldy materials that are all but guaranteed in a flooded showroom or office weeks later.
Electrical hazards are where flood cleanup turns fatal, and these are the rules to enforce hardest:
- Treat every power line as energized until the utility confirms otherwise, and never touch an object or water in contact with a line.
- If wiring has been underwater, or you smell burning insulation or see frayed wires or sparks, shut the system off, follow lockout/tagout, and keep it off until a qualified electrician inspects it. That covers flooded lifts, compressors, shop equipment, and EV-charging hardware.
- Ground-fault circuit interrupters are required in all wet locations, and cord-connected tools must be grounded or double-insulated.
- Run generators outdoors only, never inside the shop or showroom, because of carbon monoxide, and lock the main breaker OFF before starting to prevent backfeed onto utility lines.
Finally, keep fire exits clear of debris and sandbags, confirm enough extinguishers are on hand, and evacuate immediately for any gas leak. Use extreme caution with floating or displaced containers of shop chemicals, and the EPA’s National Response Center (800-424-8802) can advise on disposal.
ComplyAuto Can Help
Flood safety is not something dealerships should be figuring out after the water is already rising. ComplyAuto Safety helps dealerships build and maintain the programs, procedures, and training needed to prepare employees before severe weather hits and manage the hazards that follow.
With ComplyAuto Safety, dealerships can keep safety plans and required documentation organized, deliver and track employee training, conduct inspections, document hazards and corrective actions, and maintain compliance records in one place. That gives managers a practical way to turn OSHA guidance into procedures employees can actually follow—whether that means preparing for an approaching storm, keeping employees away from electrical and chemical hazards, or managing a safe cleanup afterward. Schedule a demo to learn more.