The last of the changes to the ANSI/AGSC/AGRSS™ Standard 003-2015 is, in my opinion, the most important. Without education and training a technician doesn’t know how to do the job right and will be unable to follow a standard that doesn’t make sense to him.
Educating the industry is what I have dedicated the latter half of my career to doing. An educated workforce produces a safe, productive, professional and quality installation. The two changes to the ANSI/AGSC/AGRSS™ Standard 003-2015 in this section are minor. There is also an addition that I feel is important to the success of the operation.
Old:
Technicians installing replacement automotive glass shall be fully qualified for the tasks they are required to perform. Such qualifications shall include, at a minimum, completion of a comprehensive training program with a final exam and a continuing education component. The program shall include, among other things:
- a) AGR safety issues;
- b) An understanding of OEM installation standards and procedures;
- c) Relevant technical specifications;
- d) Comprehensive retention system specific training; and
- e) The opportunity to apply and demonstrate the skills technicians learn.
New:
9.1 Technicians installing replacement automotive glass shall be fully qualified for the tasks they are required to perform. Such qualifications shall include, at a minimum, completion of a comprehensive training program with a final exam and an ongoing education component. The program shall include, among other things:
- a) AGR safety issues;
- b) An understanding of OEM installation standards and procedures;
- c) Relevant technical specifications;
- d) Adhesive system manufacturer specific comprehensive retention system training; and
- e) The opportunity to apply and demonstrate the skills technicians learn.
The changes to this portion of section 9 are simple. The first change simply adds a continuing education component to the training. Training cannot be given and then be allowed to stagnate. The word “ongoing” signifies the need for continuing training in the field of automotive glass installation to keep up with new vehicles, regulations and procedures.
The second change serves to address language regarding adhesive manufacturer training programs. Adhesive system manufacturers have the in-depth knowledge of how and why their sealants work. Technicians are now required to follow the guidelines for use of each specific adhesive they use, not just apply the guidelines they may use for one sealant to all.
The addition to section 9 of the standard is an important subject that must be addressed. Many times during my experience as a trainer, I have found that after I train the technicians in the proper procedures of automotive glass installation, they are confronted by co-workers and even managers that either do not understand the directives taught or refuse to change for some reason or another. For that reason we included 9.2 of the standard.
9.2 Training with respect to the content and requirements of the current version of this standard shall be required for all personnel directly involved in the automotive glass replacement process (examples: scheduling, purchasing, installing, customer service, quality control, management). Records of this training detailing content, date, participants and acknowledgement of the participant’s successful completion of the training and receipt of a printed copy of the current standard shall be maintained.
It says that any other employees that are responsible for scheduling, supplying or managing the act of installation must be trained on the part of the standard that pertains to their job. An example might be the job of customer service representative (CSR). The CSR must be aware of items that will directly influence the safety of the customer. Some of the normal every day duties of a CSR are directly related to standard compliance, such as:
- Informing the customer of Safe-Drive-Away Times (SDAT);
- Scheduling so the technician will have time to install and allow operation of the vehicle safely; and
- In some cases, depending on the job description:
- Document and keep files to demonstrate compliance to the standard for customer records, retention system files, educational files, etc.; and
- Order the proper glass, retention systems and other supplies.
Most glass companies are doing this now, and we were very careful not to make this additional training too much of a burden. However, we did want it to be significant enough to be pertinent. We wanted to make it traceable and auditable for our companies that choose to be registered member companies of the Auto Glass Safety Council. These past weeks I have converted the new changes into easy to understand language that all can understand and follow. I hope you have found these explanations valuable and that you have implemented the changes in your company and daily installations.
The training can be as simple as providing a copy of the standard to an employee and answering any questions they may have concerning their job and their importance to the finished installation. If you then keep track of the training and document proof of compliance you will meet the standard.
