UK: Supermarket car washes to be inspected as part of pilot scheme

Thirty hand car washes on supermarket sites in the Midlands will be inspected and audited in February to check that they are complying with regulations and looking after their workers.

The spot checks are a key part of the Responsible Car Wash Scheme (RCWS), an industry-led pilot project tackling modern slavery and lack of compliance within the hand car wash industry.

Five major supermarkets have backed the scheme and are pushing to ensure that their operators are working both safely and legally.

Ten of the inspections will be carried out by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), with a further 10 conducted by the industry. The remaining 10 will be joint inspections.

All 30 inspections will check that the operators are protecting their workers, trading legally, adhering to environmental regulations, and taking care of customers and their vehicles.

There are an estimated 20,000 hand car washes in the UK, many of which operate legally. However, issues ranging from modern slavery to serious environmental and health and safety breaches have been identified at several sites.