Petters told 3-monthly inspection not enough
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• No action was taken this week when Petters Ltd, the diesel engine and compressor manufacturer and a subsidiary of Hawker Siddeley, was called before the Metropolitan LA under Section 69.
The inquiry was the result of visits by a DoE vehicle examiner during October and November, 1970. The examiner, Mr H. Newnham, said that during the first visit two units and two trailers were inspected which resulted in immediate GV9s on both units. At the same time the maintenance records were checked and showed that vehicles had been inspected only once or twice during the year. Mr Newnham considered the fully equipped workshop facilities and six maintenance staff, of whom three were full-time vehicle fitters, adequate for the 13 vehicles and 22 trailers operated on the licence. Basically, he said, there was a system but it had lapsed.
When questioned by the solicitor for Petters. Mr Newnham agreed that servicing and inspection had been scheduled for every three months for the units and four months for the trailers but. he said, this was not frequent enough and he had suggested at the time of his first visit that inspections should be carried out every month. He understood that the suggestions he had made had been agreed to.
For the company, Mr W. F. Stratton, the works manager, said that the vehicles based at Staines were part of a total fleet of more than 100 vehicles throughout the country. He had considered the general standard of maintenance to be good and was surprised at the allegations of insufficient maintenance. Since 1963 there had only been two offences; one for a smoking exhaust and one for fog light infringements.
Labour and materials were costing the company £740 a month while considerable quantities of spares were Stocked. Mr Stratton confirmed that vehicles were now being inspected every month.
Giving his decision, the LA, Mr D. I. R. Muir, said he was satisfied that adequate steps had been taken to improve the maintenance situation.