5 Need-To-Know Legalities When Purchasing Your Own Workshop
For many, owning a business is part of living their dream and a path to personal wealth. While the saying goes “with great power comes great responsibility”, so does owning a workshop. Though many responsibilities come with owning a workshop, the last thing you want is an injury lawyer on your back.
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According to Lamber Goodnow, even a seemingly minor accident can lead to devastating injuries.
In the case of a workshop, if you are looking into specializing in motor repairs, here are some of the legal tips you are certainly going to need.
Legal Certification
Opening a business is more than only finding a place and looking for customers. The first thing you will need is a license and investigate the regulations and legal requirements surrounding your business, open account to manage tax reporting and payroll, file your incorporation articles, so much more.
During this process, you should find a lawyer to ensure all legal documentation from purchasing the property to the legal operation of the business.
You don’t need to keep a lawyer, but it can prevent you from making mistakes all the way. You are not required to have an Automotive Service Excellence certification to work on cars.
Still, without it, you may find that substantially is more difficult or expensive to obtain liability insurance. Alternatively, as a workshop property owner, you can put it up for rent using a property management agency.
Occupational Health and Safety
The Occupational Health and Safety laws specify that the workplace needs to be both safe and healthy for workers. This is utmost important in a workshop business where employees are operating heavy machinery and dangerous tools and are exposed to harmful chemicals. Staff must receive safety training frequently and be provided with all the necessary safety equipment and clothing.
Implementing a policy on how chemicals are to be used, labelled and stored as legal means for all employees to follow is a professional way to ensure safety rules are carried. Hazards like fires and explosions can cause catastrophic injuries or even be killed. A vehicle can fall and crush you as you are working underneath it.
Get a Newer Workshop
When purchasing your workshop, you are most likely looking at the long-term game and want your business infrastructure to last for a long time. Not only to save money repairs, but more importantly, the safety of your employees, customers and vehicles in the workshop.
There are legal consequences for injuries incurred due to poorly maintained infrastructure; hence a newer workshop will leave you with a peace of mind than an old rusty and cheaper building.
Building Modification
When it comes to designing your floor plan for your workshop, some characteristics need to be surveyed and approved by the relevant authority. Your building plan and the material using in the structure of the building will determine the required safety and operation measures to be approved.
This incorporates bay sizing, door locations and door types with each measurement specified in regulations. Any additional modifications to the building plans need to be submitted and approved before any work is conducted in the workshop.
Unauthorized Repairs
Needing repairs on an older car but not much money, customers may visit the shop. You can get work done on the vehicles which are considered crucial and turn a blind eye on some other problems you may incur. If a mechanic carries fraudulent and unauthorized repairs on demands payment and behalf of the workshop, you can be sued by the customer.
