Vehicle Inspection, Maintenance and Repair
Vehicle Inspection
Daily checks: In addition any DVSA regulations relating to any daily checks the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that drivers should check tyres, lights and indicators at the start of every shift as a minimum.
By law, every employer must make sure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
Using CheckedSafe digitises this process and allows the driver to complete a daily vehicle check on their mobile device with real time reporting of defects, immediate notifications, end to end audit trail and a trend analysis for all the fleet.
Planned Maintenance
Regular preventive maintenance inspections may be based on time or mileage. Each vehicle you purchase or hire should come with a handbook giving manufacturer’s guidance on regular maintenance.
Planned maintenance helps to prevent failures during use. It should be thorough, regular and frequent enough to meet the manufacturer’s guidelines and common sense. Pay special attention to:
- brakes, steering and tyres.
- mirrors and any fittings that allow the driver to see clearly (for example, CCTV cameras);
- windscreen washers and wipers;
- warning devices (for example, horns, reversing alarms or lights);
- ladders, steps, or walkways;
- pipes, pneumatic or hydraulic hoses, rams, outriggers, lifting systems or other moving parts or systems; and
- specific safety systems, for example, control interlocks to prevent the vehicle or its equipment from moving unintentionally, racking, securing points for ropes.
Are vehicles maintained in a safe and fit condition?
- Do you ensure daily vehicle checks are carried out?
- Is planned/preventive maintenance carried out in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations? Remember – an MOT certificate only covers basic defects and does not guarantee the safety of a vehicle.
- Do you ensure tyres and windscreen wipers are inspected regularly and replaced as necessary?
- What procedures are there for reporting defects and are they remedied promptly?
- How do you ensure maintenance and repairs are carried out to an acceptable standard?
- Do you have a clear policy that unsafe vehicles should not be driven.
Safety precautions when maintaining vehicles
- Apply brakes.
- Chock wheels.
- Start engine with brakes on and in neutral gear.
- Prop or support raised parts.
- Use a tyre-cage or other restraining device when inflating tyres on split-rim wheels.
- Remove tyres from wheels before welding, cutting or heating work begins on a wheel or wheel rim. fitted with a tyre, even if the tyre is deflated.
- Beware of the risk of explosion when draining and repairing fuel tanks, and from battery gases. Never drain or fill fuel tanks when the equipment is hot or in a confined space, or over a pit.
- Avoid short-circuiting batteries. Charge batteries should be charged in well-ventilated areas. Suitable personal protective equipment should be provided and used for handling battery acid.
- Make sure that maintenance staff cannot breathe asbestos dust from brake and clutch lining pads.
- Only allow people who have received the relevant information, instruction and training to do maintenance work.
