While no business exists entirely risk-free, operating a service station comes with a unique set of risks. Station operators must contend with ever-fluctuating supply costs, stringent local, state, and federal requirements, tank, pump, and equipment issues, and the high-stake risks of storing and dispensing an extremely-combustible, chemical product.
Explosive substances, OSHA and environmental violations, slips and falls, traffic accidents, robberies, and remedial cleanups are known risks within the fuel servicing industry.
Having a comprehensive plan for identifying and managing these risks can protect your staff, vendors, suppliers, patrons, and the environment, and let you focus on growing your business. Choosing the right contracting, maintenance and environmental consulting partner can help you sidestep these risks and quickly remediate these incidents.
Here are five ways that choosing the right business partner can keep your business running on high octane:
1. Flawless construction from the ground up to the rooftop
Most of the country’s 140,000+ fuel servicing stations provide convenience and fast food services, car washes, and restrooms, some of which also include showering and laundromat facilities. Working with a trusted partner that can custom engineer, maintain, and expand your facilities with a safety-first approach minimizes the risks you face. The right partner can maximize your resilience by building in sufficient lighting, visibility, outdoor spacing, well-designed entry, exit, tank, pump, and materials handling locations, and much more,
2. Proactive environmental engineering and problem-solving
Complex, forever-changing state, local, and federal regulations make environmental compliance a challenging issue for station operators. By partnering with a team of skilled environmental consultants, you’ll avoid the complexities of site and risk assessments, changing regulatory conditions, remediation analysis, and management of releases, when needed.
3. Reliable testing and maintenance practices
Comprehensive maintenance of your facility demands an uncompromising commitment to quality, regulatory compliance, and occupational health and safety standards. When the auditors arrive, you can rest assured they’ll find only clean, well-maintained equipment and proper practices throughout your premises. Beyond the need to have your pumps, tanks, and other fuel dispensing components in tip-top shape, having a single source that can also handle your lighting, plumbing, refrigeration, signage, and more with rapid response and attentiveness will give you the peace of mind you need.
4. One-stop shopping from a single trusted, turnkey source
A single expert source that can manage any construction, maintenance, testing, and environmental engineering project of any scope is the partner you want to align with–particularly one that puts across-the-board safety practices first. Your business partner should include a team of project managers, supervisors, operators, and trained technicians capable of handling everything from CAD design and drafting, to site strategy and planning, project estimation, underground utilities, facility renovations, excavations, equipment replacement, renewable energy sources, and more.
5. Choose a partner that builds safety into its organizational culture
It’s not uncommon for today’s service providers to focus strictly on the bottom line. As a station owner, you’re best served by a partner whose top-line management focuses on a commitment to both personnel and process safety as its top priority– one whose commitment to safety is deeply embedded in its DNA. Make sure that your partners’ employees are certified in all major safety protocols, including OSHA, HAZWOPER, and API WorkSafe programs, and that the partner is A-rated by ISNetWorld.This will help you maintain the peace of mind you deserve.
Contact us to learn more about how we can meet the needs of your next project reliably, safely, and cost-effectively
