The equipment rental industry has always been deeply committed to cleanliness and safety. Providing construction contractor partners with the right equipment and the training to use it safely is what rental stores do. When 2020 redefined the words “clean” and “safe,” the American Rental Association (ARA) raised the industry’s already demanding standards even higher.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the United States, ARA pumped tremendous resources into helping rental stores serve their contractor customers in a business environment where cleanliness and safety mattered more than ever. In May, the association launched the "Clean. Safe. Essential." program—a major initiative to enable member stores to operate as safely as possible in the new normal.

The program harmonizes cleanliness and safety best practices while organizing support and communications. Following is a summary of Clean. Safe. Essential. initiatives ARA has implemented to help ensure construction contractors and professionals continue to experience safe rental transactions.

ARA Healthy Work Practices Guide

Most construction equipment rental companies did not shut down when the pandemic hit because they were classified as essential businesses. With rental stores facing new and evolving local health and safety requirements, ARA released the ARA Healthy Work Practices Guide in May.

The guide details consistent, practical guidance on measures to minimize exposure to the coronavirus for customers, staff, vendors and visitors. Content is based on expertise from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, rental operators and equipment manufacturers.

The ARA Healthy Work Practices Guide offers general information on microbes and viruses; personal protective equipment considerations; cleaning supplies and equipment needed for social distancing; how to prepare a facility, vehicles and employees for work; testing employees; cleaning equipment and more.

Clean. Safe. Essential. Certificate Program

In June, ARA made available to construction equipment rental companies a Clean. Safe. Essential. training certificate program. This training was customized for ARA associate members—manufacturers and suppliers—and Canadian members in August. The online training program features in-depth learning modules to help members operate at the highest level of safety for all operations, employees and customers.

Topics covered in the comprehensive training include supplies needed, preparations to make, safety considerations and a cleanliness checklist. ARA will continue to refine the training program with updated modules.

After completion of the Clean. Safe. Essential. training program, ARA members receive a certificate and an implementation kit for their specific location. As of early September 2020, more than 2,500 ARA members are participating in the Clean. Safe. Essential. program.

More Clean. Safe. Essential. Work Ahead

ARA has created an expert panel to regularly evaluate the program and update best practices as new information becomes available. Additional elements of the Clean. Safe. Essential. program—such as a national awareness campaign—will be rolled out in the months ahead as ARA continues to support members and the vitality of rental through the pandemic.

The rental industry is committed to developing industry-leading solutions to keep the rental process as safe as possible. The uniform training found in the Clean. Safe. Essential. program is designed to help ensure the health and safety of the rental experience—and to maintain the highest level of confidence of customer partners who depend so heavily on rental for their success.

To find a rental store participating in the Clean. Safe. Essential. program, construction contractors can visit the online rental store locator RentalHQ.com and search for locations with the Clean. Safe. Essential. designation. The newly redesigned site makes it easy for contractors to find local rental partners they can work with for a clean and safe rental experience through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.