Risking the load for want of a torch
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IT IS more essential than ever to get the best possible productivity now that drivers hours have been reduced to nine and a half and will further be reduced to eight by 1981. It is unscheduled interruptions which wreck productivity, and this is where planned maintenance comes in.
Failure of the smallest cornponent often causes hours of delay chargeable only to the operator. A little planning and a little capital expenditure can avoid costly emergencies by the roadside.
A vehicle emergency kit should cover the most common
emergency for £.1 00, apart from the spare wheel. Large operators have more sophisticated kits than the basics which I look at here.
The rule of thumb is "'the more you carry, the less chance there is of downtime." If an emergency kit is not available, there is a serious risk that a driver will risk pushing on to journey's end with a defective vehicle. That is a risk that neither driver nor operator should contemplate.
Of course the best defence against a mechanical break down in service is to implement a good preventive maintenance programme.
Road transport vehicles differ from most other types of machinery in that they spend long periods away from the people whose job it is to ensure -their smooth running. However well the machine is built and maintained, the older it is, the greater is the risk of failure.
To cover every breakdown or emergency would eventually require a second fully-equipped vehicle in constant attendance.
Fortunately, with a little forethought the list of items ne
eded can be reduced to manageable proportions provided the more serious causes of breakdown are left to one of the . emergency recovery services. An essential item of emergency kit is emergency lighting. A stout hand-torch and a handlamp-cum-flashingbeacon
should be top of the list. Without these items nothing can happen after dark. It seems strange that when emergencies are most likely to happen, the services are least available — during the silent hours. It is essential to have spare lamp bulbs and batteries.
Running troubles such as electrical faults are common enough and many simply solved by the replacement of a fuse. If the fault recurs, further examination, is needed to get to the source of the problem. Any temptation to use a stronger fuse or replace it with a piece of silver cigarette paper must be strongly resisted — the consequences can be disastrous. Fuses of the correct value give position protection against the electrical overload.
Although circuit breakers, on the other hand, are more convenient and give a similar scale of protection, they are unfortunately just as susceptible to abuse. Where the tault can be traced to a charred, trayed or broken wire, a roll of pvc electrical insulation tape will provide the means for a swift and satisfactory repair.
Spare bulbs for head, tail and side lamps are well worth the small expense. It is illegal to run without suitable lights, and from the safety point of view and for reasons of self-preservation, it is just as important to be seen as it is to see.
By the law of averages, almost everyone who drives will experience both the shock and inconvenience of a broken windscreen at least once in their lifetime. The loud explosion which accompanies the disintegration of toughened glass creates the shock.
From personal experience, I believe that that magnitude of the noise is proportional to the surface area of the screen. The shock is soon over but the inconvenience follows. The fragments of glass must be cleared away and the rest of the journey has to be completed without protection against wind, rain and insects, which is both uncomfortable and dangerous.
In these circumstances an emergency screen will restore a degree of comfort. Once a permanent replacement has been made, the emergency can be stowed away for use on a future, unexpected, occasion.
Laminated screens do not. shatter in the same way as toughened screens, but they can be broken. Lamination — two glass layers separated by a plastic inter-layer — tends to be a more expensive process, and there is some doubt whether it is safer. Some experts say that because toughened glass becomes opaque and impairs vision, laminated glass should be preferred. Others argue that because toughened glass disintegrates on impact, it is safer for the occupants of the vehicle if they are thrown into it. The laminated screen on the other hand splinters, and the shards are held in place by the soft plastic inter-layer.
After fitting the emergency screen, it is just as important from a safety point of view to have wipers, washers and demisters operating normally. One screen I know of which has this facility is produced by Humphrey Thompson Enterprises of Amersham, Bucks. These screens are easily cleaned, rolled and stowed after use.•
The cost of an emergency screen is about Li 5.00 ;ncluding VAT, but the price will vary according to the area to be covered. Custom-made emer
gency screens are available from vehicle manufacturers.
Mirrors are also prone to breakage. Manoeuvering in confined areas is the major cause of self-inflicted damage. Close parking in overnight parks often results in other vehicles causing the damage, only discovered after the culprit has gone.
Many mirror lenses are held in place by a softer rubber surround which make replacement a very simple job. The real answer is to carry a mirror head. However, if a lens only is carried, care is needed to protect it against knocks from other pieces of equipment in the kit. This could be a soft clean cloth — which has its own use in an emergency.
Vehicle designers go to great lengths to produce cab doors with locks that can only be secured from the outside using a key. Drivers seem to play a game to find ways to beat the system. with the inevitable result that they one day find themselves outside with the keys locked on the inside. A spare key taped to some obscure position out of sight of prying eyes will save damage to the windows or door in this event.
Of course frozen locks pre, sent a different problem A piece
of elastic plaster will keep out frost, but even if it does penet. rate there are other answers. Wilmot Breeden Ltd market a product called Loclube for use in emergencies. Claimed to lubricate and guard against freezing and corrosion, it is relatively inexpensive at 60p for a 21gram tube. When we tried the product last winter, it worked well and the frozen locks were easily freed, but the trouble came later. In the spring of the year the material congealed in the lock and we had an unpleasant time cleaning it. This year's tube is marked "New Formula". Presumably this is a noncongealing product.
Under normal conditions. anyone who runs out of fuel deserves little sympathy, but in this age of shortage it might become unavoidable. A length of half-inch tubing can 'usefully double as syphon and always supposing a sympathetic fellow-traveller can be found, it may just get enough fuel to get the vehicle to the next station.
Diesel-engined vehicles can be tricky. If air is allowed into the fuel system, it will mean that the fuel will have to be bled through before the engine will start.
Unless the driver is a competent mechanic, and few are, there is little point in carrying a fully-equipped tool-box — just the bare minimum, consisting of a small and a medium adjustable spanner, a Phillips screwdriver, an electrical and a medium-sized screwdriver, plus a pair of pliers, will be sufficient to cover minor faults.
A vehicle jack is only worth carrying if a spare wheel and tyre are also included, but in any case the wheel-nut spanner is worth including. Many operators now depend on members of the National Tyre Distribution Association to get them out of trouble, so their handbook should be carried.
What emergency kit could be complete without a first-aid kit, even though it is questionable for anyone untrained in the art to practice it? In practice they are rarely used except to administer a dressing for the occasional cut finger.
To find out what the trade supplies as a full transport kit, I contacted Barbar Froomberg, director of the Safety First Aid Co Ltd. of Hendon Avenue, Finchley, London, who was able to provide me with a list of items. This subject is dealt with fully elsewhere in this isue.
First the box, made of metal and enamelled, should be fitted with keyhole slots for mounting inside the vehicle. It needs a handle for carrying and should measure about 32cm x 22cm x 11cm 12.5in x 8.3in x 4.15in) to hold the' following items. one Cramper, to relieve cramp; a pack of 30 Bisodal tablets, for the relief of indegestion; a pack of 23 Anadin tablets, to treat headaches and other pains; a bottle of smelling salts; a 15 gramme pack of cotton wool; one No 4 ambulance dressing; one triangular bandage; two cartons of ten antiseptic wipes; a No 1 outfit of plasters containing 144 patches; a bottle of Pennine eye drops; one zinc oxide measuring 1.25m x 5m; a can of Burneze, a spray for burns; a tube of Acnflex, a cream for burns; one pack of 10 Avomine, one No 8 lint dres sing, a 2in-width bandage, a 3in bandage, one First Aid booklet and a pair of tweezers.
It is mandatory in some Continental countries such as Germany and Austria for a kit of this type to be carried on the vehicle.
A 30ft length of light rope and a one-gallon can are useful emer gency kit items. We know of a driver who, using his tie, braces and a pyjama cord attached to a rubber boot, managed to pull enough water out of a motorway man-hole to get his vehicle
moving safely. This is not a recommended prac.jce. The rope can also be used to secure part of the load in an emergency.
Still on driver comfort, a flask or two of hot strong sweet tea or coffee, especially on night trun king work, is essential. Operators may argue that this is the driver's responsibility but it is their £25,000 outfit and £60,000 load that is at risk.
• In the event of the vehicle becoming immobile, an ad vance warning sign — a red reflective triangle — can be placed back along the road to give prior notice to other road users of the impending obstacle. This is mandatory on the Continent.
Whether the operator decides on more or fewer tools
than mentioned here, they will only be a hindrance unless they can be conveniently and securely stowed.
The box need only be small but should have built-in com partments. This will avoid con fusion and breaking bulbs or glass mirrors. Each item should be wrapped in dusters to serve the dual purpose of protection and cleaning. The box should not have a lock — that just means one more key to lose.
• by Bill Brock