Operating gas stations and convenience stores can be rewarding work. These establishments are often at the centre of a community, offering customers the fuel they need for their next journey on the road and a variety of everyday essentials—including food, medications and toiletries.
However, managing such an establishment also carries constant challenges. After all, owners must deliver exceptional service, maintain a loyal customer base and promote a safe work environment. These challenges are magnified when you consider that gas stations and convenience stores often have a number of risks associated with them and a variety of incidents can occur—potentially impacting a business’s property, employees and bottom line.
This questionnaire gives your business the opportunity to review risk categories specific to your operations and take action to address those risks:
Property - Food Preparation Equipment:
- Are food preparation appliances in good condition and maintained by a qualified contractor?
- Is food preparation equipment covered by a hood to capture grease-laden vapours?
- Is there a 2.4-metre-tall metal baffle in place, or at least 5.4 metres of space between open flames and the fryer surface?
- Are refrigeration systems inspected for leaks and maintained by qualified contractors?
- Are there nozzles for the AES over food preparation equipment?
Property - Gas Pumps:
- Do all self-service gas pumps offer fuelling instructions in clear, concise and understandable language?
- Are all gas pump nozzles properly fitted with rubber collars?
- Are certain employees designated to watch over the self-service gas pumps to ensure that customers follow all safety instructions and warning signage?
- If the establishment offers full-service gas pumps, are all employees properly trained before being permitted to pump gas for customers?
- If propane gas tanks are provided to the establishment by a supplier, are the tanks inspected for potential damages upon receipt?
Environmental Liability (Gas Pumps):
- Does the establishment have a mandatory octane testing program in place?
- Are all employees properly trained on safe gas dispensing practices?
- Are all fuel storage tanks equipped with an effective tank monitoring system?
- Is the establishment compliant with all applicable underground storage tank (UST) regulations?
- Are there measures in place to minimize the risk of gas tank overfills?
Food Safety:
- Does the establishment have a clean health inspection record?
- Is “Employees Only” signage clearly displayed in all restricted locations, such as food preparation areas?
- Do all self-serve, food- or beverage-dispensing devices that possess heated surfaces or contain hot liquids have proper signage warning customers of the potential hazards (e.g., spills or burns)?
- Are nonslip rugs, runners or mats placed in front of beverage-dispensing devices, where spills are most likely?
- Are all refrigerators set to 4 degrees Celsius or less?
Find Out More:
This list is not exhaustive, and assessing your company's exposures and taking the appropriate precautions can go a long way toward protecting your gas station and convenience store business.
Download our “Loss Control Questionnaire: Gas Stations and Convenience Stores” guide for an in-depth list of more ways to minimize gaps in your risk management: