Be Safe

Van driving can involve high mileage and pressure – so if you drive a van for a living what can be done to make your job safer?

Vehicle Inspection

Drivers have a responsibility for ensuring their vehicles are roadworthy, legal and properly insured. That should include regular and frequent inspections of tyres, brakes, fluid levels, lights, and so on. If you are unsure of what should be checked, and when, consult the manufacturer’s handbook.

Driving When Tired

To prevent driving when tired, you must:

• Take breaks somewhere safe (never on the hard shoulder) every two hours, or sooner if you feel sleepy.
• Stop at least for 15 minutes. Try to snooze if you feel sleepy.
• Limit your sleeping time to a maximum of 15 minutes or you will fall into a state commonly known as deep sleep. Deep sleep can occur after just a quarter of an hour and leaves your levels of alertness impaired for longer upon waking. Only drive if you fell alert.
• Research has found that drinking a strong caffeine drink or two before having a snooze can help you be more alert after you wake up. By the time you wake up, the caffeine has kicked in. However, drugs are no substitute for sleep and cannot, on their own, enable you to stay awake for long.
• Never try to tackle sleepiness by carrying on driving, turning up the radio or winding down the window. These measures do not work.
• Research shows that drivers know when they are sleepy. Listen to your body and if you experience symptoms of sleepiness (e.g. heavy eyelids, yawning) you must stop.

The Two Second Rule

It is important to keep a two second gap between your vehicle and the vehicle in front. This should be extended to four seconds in wet weather or poor visibility. This is your braking space in a crisis. In poor visibility, never hang on to the lights of the vehicle in front. You will be too close for safety and not “reading the road” for yourself.  

Load Safety

When a vehicle crashes into a wall at 25mph, an item of unsecured luggage weighing just 25kg will travel forward with the force equivalent to a baby elephant (three tonnes), so it makes sense to secure your load properly. It’s also a legal duty shared by both the driver and vehicle operator.

The Road Traffic Act, 1991, states that “vehicle users” are legally required to ensure that loads are secured safely on all journeys. In addition, the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations, 1986, require that “all parts and accessories and the weight distribution, packing and adjustment of their loads shall be such that no danger is likely to be caused to any person in or on the vehicle or trailer on the road”.

Routine checks should include: 

• Lashing equipment for signs of damage.
• Nets, tarpaulins and sheets for signs of damage.
• Anchorage points, headboards and bulkheads for signs of corrosion or cracks.

In addition, you should ensure:

• All load items are secured properly.
• The weight and size of the load is within the limits of your vehicle, trailer and restraint devices.
• The load weight is evenly distributed across the vehicle’s floor.
• The centre of gravity of the load is as low as possible by placing heavier items at the bottom, lighter items at the top.
• Wherever possible, the load is placed in contact with the headboard/bulkhead.
• The doors are locked and the lock mechanisms are in good condition.

The Department for Transport issues guidelines on load safety. Called “The Security of Loads on Vehicles code of practice” it can be downloaded from the DfT website (www.dft.gov.uk).

Reversing

Nearly a quarter of work-related deaths involving vehicles occur when reversing and 90 per cent of reversing accidents occur off road. Tips from the HSE for safer reversing include:

• Remove the need for reversing wherever possible.
• Exclude people from area where vehicles have to reverse.
• Minimise the distance vehicles have to reverse.
• Use a properly trained banksman or guide.
• Decide how the driver is to make and keep contact with a banksman.
• Make sure all staff are adequately trained.
• Make sure all visiting drivers are adequately briefed.
• Make sure all vehicle manoeuvres are properly supervised.
• Use mirror to increase the area the driver can see.
• Fit a reversing alarm.
• Use other safety devices such as barriers.

Company Responsibilities

Under the Health & Safety at Work Act, employers owe a “duty of care” to their employees wherever they are and failing in duty of care can result in heavy fines.

Additionally, there is a current drive (no pun intended) concerning the safety of people who drive as part of their work. We would recommend that employers read the HSE guide called “Managing work-related road safety” (www.hse.gov.uk).

Other useful resources include The Fleet Safety Forum (www.brake.org.uk) and The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (www.rospa.co.uk).

All endeavours are made for the information to be accurate, however we hold no responsibility for accuracy, all customers are responsible for seeking their own advise on current health and safety legislation.