Hired Vehicles in Royal Mail - Pre-Use Safety Checks:

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Letter to Branches




No. 1047 /11
Ref V5
Date: 9 December 2011

To: All Branches,

Dear Colleagues,

Hired Vehicles in Royal Mail - Pre-Use Safety Checks:

As the Christmas Pressure period in Royal Mail progresses, Royal Mail expects to handle a total of around two billion items in the run up to Christmas, 130 million items daily.
5,000 Hired Vehicles are being used over and above the normal year round Official Red fleet of 33,000 vehicles.
 
The Health, Safety and Environment Department has been receiving enquiries from Safety Representatives as to whether Hired Vehicles should be 'Safety Checked' before
being used and entering Royal Mail service. The answer is Yes.!

Please see below extract from Royal Mail's official Maintenance Policy regarding pre-entry for externally hired vehicles. 

Sadly it's not unusual to find some Transport Managers failing to enforce these checks and in the past some vehicles have been found with serious faults on them that either
render them unroadworthy or illegal or both.!  It is not uncommon for a significant number of Christmas Hires to be returned to the Hirers with serious roadworthiness issues by Service Centre Technicians where the checks have taken place.

Area Safety Representatives should therefore carry out spot checks and Inspections to ensure the Hired vehicle checks are being done.

See below extract from the Royal Mail Vehicle Maintenance Policy:-
 
"3.2 External Hire
All hire vehicles will be checked prior to entering service. This to ensure that they comply with all the necessary legal regulations i.e. tyre condition etc. This should be carried
out either by personnel from the Service Centre or a competent person e.g.. Site Transport Manager. While in use within Royal Mail all hire vehicles and trailers must be
maintained to the same standards as RM owned (red) fleet."


Yours Sincerely


Dave Joyce
CWU National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

[disheartened]

This is a very good idea,some of the 7.5 tonners we have on hire are right old s******ers 7 & 8 years old,have failed the workshop safety check for numerous things,if you get a tug by V.O.S.A in a hired van(or any van for that matter) that is faulty,the blame lies with the driver not the hire company,do your daily vehicle checks,have your correct hours of,its your licence.

[PhilthyPhil]

All the hire vehicles we get are practically brand new since the hire company gets rid of them after 10k miles and as such are they are in far better condition than any of our vans.

[arnold cheshire]

All the hire vehicles we get are practically brand new since the hire company gets rid of them after 10k miles and as such are they are in far better condition than any of our vans.

yes i was out in a van with 40 miles on the clock it isnt greece