Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding maintenance. Please scroll down for more information.
We have a passenger who keeps removing their seatbelt while the vehicle is in motion. Can we use a buckle guard to prevent them undoing their seatbelt?
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations state anything (such as commercially available ‘buckle guards’) that modifies the seatbelt or prevents easy access to the buckle should not be used and could be subject to enforcement action. Our advice to operators would be to avoid the use of any tools, guards, or restraints which do not comply with these regulations, and use alternative measures such as distraction, additional support in the vehicle, and (if needed) disabled people’s seatbelts.
Do we need to check our passenger lifts?
Passenger lifts are required by law to be inspected least every six months and load-tested annually by a competent person. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) cover the use of all lifts. Following an inspection, a report must be given to an appropriate person in your organisation to ensure that the relevant action can be taken to repair any faults or defects. These inspection reports must be kept for a minimum of two years.
What are safety inspections?
A nominated person should be responsible for ensuring that a full schedule of inspections takes place on all passenger vehicles that you operate. These are often known as 10 week checks.
The operator of a vehicle has a legal duty of care to ensure that vehicles they operate are safe and do not pose a danger to anyone. Safety inspections are similar to an MOT and check the road safety items of the vehicle. They should be carried out by a competent person who is able to sign the inspection document to state that in their professional opinion the vehicle will remain safe and legal until the next scheduled safety inspection.
A person undertaking safety inspections must be technically competent and operationally aware of the safety standards that apply to the vehicles they examine. They should have been trained in the techniques of vehicle examination, diagnosis and reporting, and possess a sound working knowledge of the relevant inspection manuals produced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in Great Britain and the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Northern Ireland.
A safety inspector should not be expected to carry out repair or servicing work during the course of the safety check. In Northern Ireland a safety inspection must also include a brake test. Safety inspections should be carried out with a maximum interval between inspections of 10 weeks. Vehicles that are 12 years old or older should be being safety inspected every 6 weeks.
Do we need to report vehicle defects?
Even with regular servicing and a rigorous checking system, faults or defects will still occur from time to time. In order to ensure that these are rectified as soon as possible, a formal defect reporting system should be established.
Every driver should have access to a vehicle defect report form or defect book (many organisations use the reverse side of the drivers log sheet or walkaround checklist). When a fault or defect is identified, the form should be filled in, signed and dated. It should then be returned to the Fleet Manager, co-ordinator or other responsible person for action.
There should be a clear process by which drivers, who have identified a defect, know whether it makes the vehicle un-roadworthy, e.g. clear notation on the defect report form. If a vehicle is not roadworthy due to a defect, that vehicle cannot be used until the defect is resolved. Defect report forms should be monitored on a regular basis (at least weekly), to ensure when faults are reported they have been actioned promptly.
Any report form where a defect has been noted must be kept, along with remedial action taken and the signature of the person who resolved the defect, for 15 months.
Do our drivers need to do a daily vehicle check?
Walkaround checks (sometimes described as daily checks) are very important. There are a range of items that can be easily checked on a regular basis which will ensure that potentially costly faults are picked up at an early stage, before serious damage occurs. A responsible person must undertake a walkaround check before a vehicle is used.
While these are often described as daily checks, they may need to take place more often if more than one driver is responsible for the vehicle during the day. Drivers must be aware that they are legally responsible for the vehicle whilst they are driving it, so it is in their best interest to complete the vehicle check before they drive it rather than rely on another person. Operators should provide training for their drivers to show them what checks are required and how items should be checked.
These checks are best carried out using a form which itemises things that need to be checked with a ‘tick box’ that the person undertaking the check can tick to indicate that they have checked each item. The form should also have a space for a signature and the date to be used by the person carrying out the checks (remember, you will need two people to check the brake lights). This paperwork can then be kept as an accurate record of preventative maintenance carried out on the vehicle.