Tags – Commercial Vehicles Inspection and Maintenance
With the amount of commercial vehicles rising year on year, there is growing concern for the safety of workers on the road.
Every employer must ensure that work equipment is kept in an efficient state, good repair and in working order by law; under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Essentially, making sure that vehicles are safe to use is a basic requirement for any mobile workforce.
As such, companies must carry out important, regular checks to identify any problems early on to minimise risks that a badly maintained vehicle can impose.
With this in mind, operators must have a maintenance plan that is in line with the Traffic Commissioner before an operator’s licence is granted.
Of course, the best approach depends on the circumstances of your operations, but an effective maintenance plan should cover two main areas; daily and maintenance checks.
Let’s explore this further…
Daily Checks
All drivers must check their vehicle before driving; it should be part of a daily routine.
Don’t worry, this does not have to be an intense investigation, but simply a quick walk around to check for any obvious problems.
Usually, this should be done at the beginning of the day, and all observations must be kept on record.
In the event that there’s more than one driver, then the new driver who takes over should carry out their own check.
In addition to this, many companies will check the vehicle once more after duties have finished, in case there’s been any issues along the way.
Arguably, short checks are inconvenient for workers, however it can have big repercussions if not completed.
Above all, a system must be in place to ensure all vehicles are safe to drive to avoid fatalities in the future.
A few checks you should make include:
- Oil leaks
- Tyres
- Bodywork
- Mirrors
- Lights
- Mileage
Maintenance Checks
Maintenance checks go beyond annual MOT’s, services and the daily checks carried out by drivers.
And, the type of these checks will vary from business to business, depending on their operations.
The different types of maintenance checks are as follows:
First Use
It goes without saying, new vehicles (whether hired or not), must have an initial check before leaving the premises.
Typically, companies will have a safety checklist that all vehicles must comply with.
So, all first use vehicles must be inspected to reduce any potential risks.
Scheduled
Different vehicles are used for different operations, and some will be subject to wear and tear before others.
Therefore, scheduled checks will be determined by the type of use the vehicles are being put to.
According to The Driver and Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA), frequency of these checks should be based on;
- Age of vehicle
- Nature of the work
- How heavy the loads are
- Typical terrain and climate
- Distance and speed of journeys made
To put simply, vehicles driving off-road and in difficult conditions should be checked every 4 weeks, whereas lightly loaded vehicles, operating in easy conditions should be checked every 13 weeks.
Mileage
A popular way to determine checks is based on different mileage intervals.
Again, this will depend on the type of vehicle and what it’s used for.
Furthermore, checking vehicles based on mileage heavily relies on a solid system where accurate records are placed and mileage across the workforce can be monitored.
To be safe, a combination of scheduled and mileage checks could be used as a flexible approach.
Final Remarks
Ultimately, employers have a responsibility, to its employees and the general public, to ensure vehicles are being properly inspected and maintained.
Failure to do so, and it could lead to serious accidents on the road.
So, make sure inspection and maintenance of commercial vehicles is a regular procedure.
For more information get in touch today.
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