Club Safety Inspections

R

Ruth

Well-known member
Our club is planning a safety inspection for when the Coronavirus Pandemic is over.

During planning, some members brought up the concern about liability to the club if a car was inspected and something caused a accident. Then another member brought up the fact that safety inspections are no longer required by MARC for tours.

I vaguely remember a discussion on Ford Barn about this in the past but can not find it.

So I'm asking the group, what do y'all think about safety inspections and does your club have them? What are your thoughts and/or concerns?

Thanking in advance...
 
I like the idea, but for liability questions I think saying something needs attention or further investigation is better than saying something is safe. The inspection is for finding things that might cause trouble such as missing cotters or loose steering parts.
 
Firstly, I'd look at not calling them "Safety Inspections" That gives the impression that afterwards, the car is safe. Maybe something like Vehicle Condition Inspection would be better and have the owner sign the inspection checklist afterwards acknowledging that he is aware of what needs attention and that he understands that it is only a guide - the club makes no guarantees and accepts no liability.
The legal scene here is different from over there. Here, the law says it is the driver's responsibility to make sure the vehicle is safe so he/she cannot pass responsibility to the club.
 
Have you considered, handing a comprehensive check list to the owner/driver and have him/her check off the items, sign and return.

Joe
 
Tacoma Bob said:
We named our's Spring Readiness.
Click to expand...

Along with that, we don’t work on it.. we have a check list and make notes so the owner know the problem areas.
That brings up another interesting question: if you have a club “repair” day, where members help someone repair a problem on their car, is the club now liable for the work done?
I know of a club that restored a car for a juvenile. We were on a short tour, and the parent asked why his car was all over the road, and everyone else’s car seemed fine. Turns out his steering box was missing one bolt, and the other was ready to fall off as well. One problem with many people working at the same time. Can you imagine the lawsuit that would have been brought forward, had there been an accident?
 
Ruth
Back in the 80’s we started doing voluntary safety check day in our local club. My previous A mentor terry Oberer and I put it together becUse there were too many cars that were breaking down on tours and having safety issues. We hoped by identifying them folks would realize the deficiencies and fix them. It was avoid thing as we found many serious issues. Brakes, steering etc. we used a check list which included obvious like brakes, steering , etc but also included glass ( safety or plate) , electrical , etc.
in the end and over time it not only accomplished our goal but gave new members in particular a good overview of their cars and most of them would eventually be fixed and we’re better for it. It’s an excellent learning tool and we made it a hands on day for all. It was also a popular tech type event day.
Of course I do service and restoration now full time but it’s a rarity for one of our guys to have an issue and the cars are in better shape generally than they were 30 years ago.

I think today everyone’s so scared of liability but you can put a liability disclaimer on your form to your liking. We haven’t had it for some time as we now do Model A start up parties for cars not run in 40-50 plus years and have been successful for 28 years. It too has been an awesome event. For those that attended the Branson Marc meet our club the Missouri valley region sponsored and performed a start up there . It was a memorable event .
I would encourage you to do the safety and mechanical check and use checklist and make notes of deficiencies.

Happy to assist you with more info if you need.
Larry shepard
Missouri valley region MARC
 
We just moved to southern Alabama and are in the process of adding a second garage to our home. One with a lift and dedicated to Model 'A's. It's kind of like a dream home for us in our retirement and it's an exciting project. One of my big goals is to eventually host safety inspections (or whatever I decide to call it) with the local club. It's a great way to teach people as well as myself how to work on Model A's.

Clubs that I know of that have garage tech sessions or do these type of inspections seem to have higher rates of participation and enthusiasm. The Diablo A's have a DVD they sell (through most of the parts stores) called Annual tour inspection which is pretty good. Or you can order on their website at http://diabloas.com/
 
shew01 said:
Can anyone post a copy of their checklist?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Not sure if I have a copy anymore of ours but if I can find one I’ll post it later , it’s an easy thing to do to make one up and common sense .
Brakes, steering, electrical, fuel leaks, glass, lights, door latches ( yes you don’t want doors coming open from bad latches). Wheels (look for cracks and lugs nut issues) , dry rotted tires, etc. A comprehensive brake inspection and steering inspection is paramount. Bushing lever looseness, Rods, linings,drums, etc.


We have great member participation in our group. About 150 members and about 75 at a meeting on a weeknight . Of course right now it’s shut down but we will be back soon.
All the best to you guys !

Larry
 
What gets inspected at your club's safety inspection?


Search for the above thread and you will have what you need.
 
I would tread lightly in the area of safety inspections,if there is an incident there is always a lawyer that will take the case.
 
I wish my club had a safety inspection, access to a lift would be so helpful, and getting tips/info from other members would be a big plus. Would not mind signing a waiver for legal/insurance reasons.
 
30 Closed Cab PU
You hit the nail on the head, the benefit of a club should be to draw upon each other as a resource. We have one member with a large enough area to meet and work on our cars. Having a lift makes for a easy task of inspecting and doing light maintenance.
Our local clubs gather make this a regular event. It is always fun and educational.
 
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