Anthony LaFaziaCEO, Atlantic Training · CEO at Atlantic Training | EdTech & Safety Compliance Leader

Lot Hazards and Blind Spots: Managing Safety on the Dealership Property

28 Jul 2026 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

2:43

The video provides practical safety training for automotive dealership staff, emphasizing total situational awareness in a busy lot environment. Speaker A outlines key hazards such as moving vehicles in tight spaces, weather‑affected surfaces, oil spills, and loose gravel, and recommends concrete actions: using a "power zone" of visibility, employing spotters positioned where drivers can see them, reducing speed especially in wet, icy, or low‑visibility conditions, and using hazard lights. When hazards are observed, staff should tag, report, or clean them. Security protocols include never leaving keys in ignitions, locking vehicles, securing key boxes, keeping phones handy, and following dealership procedures or calling 911 if suspicious activity occurs. Speaker B promotes Atlantic Training’s safety courses, integrated into the free‑with‑plan WAVE EHS software, which manages incident investigations, SDS records, and employee training progress, positioning the solution as audit‑ready and convenient.

Chapters

Now let's get into the nitty-gritty of life on the lot. The dealership's a busy place with pedestrians, kids, other porters, and transport trucks. You need what we're going to call total situational awareness. The biggest hazard? Moving cars in tight quarters. When you're spotting or moving a car yourself, use the power zone of visibility. If you can't see the ground behind you, get out and look. Never assume that a walkway's clear. The atmosphere in the car business is fast-paced, but speed's the enemy of safety. When pulling a vehicle into a service bay, use a spotter if things are tight. If you're the spotter, stand where the driver can see you, but of course, out of the vehicle's path. Oh, and no heroics trying to stop a rolling car with your hands.
Watching training is great, but tracking it is better. At Atlantic Training, we offer this course and hundreds more built directly into our WAVE EHS software. Manage incident investigations, SDS records, and employee progress all in one place. The best part? The software comes free when you choose your training plan. We keep you audit ready so you can focus on the job. Click the link below to build your plan.
Keep an eye out for lot hazards like oil spills or loose gravel. Slow down and leave extra stopping distance when surfaces are wet or icy. In snow or heavy rain, use your headlights and avoid sharp steering inputs. If visibility is poor, reduce your speed to below what we call walking pace and use hazard lights when appropriate. If you see a hazard, don't just walk past it. Tag it, report it, or clean it up. And here's a big one for security. Don't leave keys in ignitions. Even for just a second. Lock the cars, secure the key box, and keep your phone on you. If something feels off—suspicious people on the lot or a potential theft—don't confront them alone. Step back, get to a safe place, and follow your dealership's security protocol or call 911.