I-CAR publishes industry ‘Best Practice’ for equipment readiness
I-CAR has published its “Automotive Collision Repair Facility and Equipment Best Practice,” which the organization says is a new resource designed to guide the collision repair industry in aligning equipment capabilities with the requirements necessary to perform complete, safe, and quality repairs.
“The document reflects broad industry collaboration and support, representing input from OEMs, insurers, and repairers,” an I-CAR press release states. “It is intended to serve as a foundational reference to help organizations evaluate facility and equipment readiness in support of consistent repair outcomes across the industry.”
Repairer Driven News asked whether I-CAR expects Gold Class facilities to meet or exceed the best practices for equipment readiness outlined in the Best Practice document.
Scott, VanHulle, I-CAR repairability technical support and OEM technical relations manager, responded: “The equipment checklists for I-CAR in-shop training events are separate documents designed to support the training needs of both Gold Class and non-Gold Class facilities. The checklists align with the specifications outlined for the relevant equipment in the Best Practice.”
The document notes that the document doesn’t replace specific OEM-certified Collision Repair Program
requirements.
“However, this best practice will provide a solid foundation that better prepares collision repair facilities for OEM-certified Collision Repair Program requirements,” it states. “See each OEM program for their specific requirements.”
The press release states that the development of the Best Practice document “reflects a coordinated effort to bring clarity and alignment to an important component of the repair process.”
Lori Barrington, I-CAR’s vice resident of delivery, added, “As the complexity of vehicle design and repair procedures continues to grow, proper equipment and ongoing technician training work hand-in-hand to support effective learning,” said. “At I-CAR, we require confirmation of equipment readiness when in-shop training and certification events are requested to ensure technicians are learning with the tools they rely on every day to perform safe, quality repairs.”
According to Vice President of Industry Relations Jeff Peevy: “This work represents significant collaboration across the industry and requires time, coordination, and active facilitation to achieve meaningful adoption. Establishing common expectations for facility and equipment readiness is essential to advancing complete, safe, and quality repairs, and this Best Practice is an important step toward that goal.”
I-CAR says the Best Practice document will be supported by ongoing industry engagement, technical resources, and communication efforts to help drive awareness and adoption across stakeholders.
Images
Featured image provided by I-CAR