"I want companies to be more safety conscious and to have more consideration for the public."
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• General hauliers are turning away hazardous-goods work because they are afraid of the regulations attached to it, according to former police inspector . Dave Hunter, who is launching a hazardous goods training company next month. He aims to tempt hauliers into the industry, and to develop the skills of those already in it.
"Operators think because they have to take extra measures for hazardous work it is too onerous for them," says Hunter. But once they know what the regulations actually are, they will learn it is not particularly difficult to comply to them. They might be saying no to business they can quite easily do."
His Cleveland-based firm, Conference and Training Services, has already won contracts from Croner Publicavices to smaller operators with fleets of up to 12 trucks. He
tions, and waste giants Leigh Environmental and Cory Environmental.
believes that this type of cornpany is under the greatest financial pressure to take short cuts in training.
"I want companies to be more safety conscious and have more consideration for the public," says Hunter. "I understand that hauliers cannot pass training costs on to their customers, but they must appreciate that in the event of an accident, if they are not prepared, they could be financially hammered by the authorities or by compensation claims. An accident could be the difference between the company making a profit or loss," he explains.
RHA MEMBERS One of his first jobs will be to talk to RHA members about moving hazardous packaged goods, at the Scotch Corner Hotel near Richmond, North
Hunter, who has spent 10 of his 22 years service in the police force concentrating on dangerous substances, says that most hauliers have a set accident/ emergency procedure, but he believes that few have it written down or distribute it to staff.
"It used to annoy me when hauliers relied on the emergency services to put things right," he says. "They must work with the services and ensure that a structured emergency plan which all staff are familiar with is in place."
He recommends that all drivers should be issued with handbooks outlining their job responsibilities and the emergency procedures; Hunter can help hauliers prepare both of these.
CTS can also offer tailor-made conferences, seminars and courses to fit into an individual company's training programme. Hunter suggests that operators have a maximum of 15 students on each course. The average cost of a day's training for six staff would be about .£250, he says.
Company auditing is another CTS speciality; Hunter inspects a company's profile, maintenance schedules and fleet insurance so that he can produce a report. Such a report, costing up to £200, could be used by hauliers to win business, or to ensure a subcontractor is of good repute.
THE ENFORCER "Having been an enforcer in the industry for 10 years I know what to look out for," says Hunter. He aims to use his experience to help operators to avoid making the most common mistakes in hazardous goods transport. For example, drivers who rely on a standard curtainsicier to contain unfastened barrels, or leave a vehicle without putting a notice in the cab windscreen stating where they can be found.
One of the funniest incidents Hunter recalls was when he asked a driver if he could see his Tremcards. Hunter opened the Tremcard box and sitting inside were the driver's sandwiches. The Tremcards were under a cushion. "I asked what the Tremcards were doing on the seat and the driver replied 'you don't expect me to sit on my sandwiches do you?"
Contact Dave Hunter at CTS on (0642) 476062.
by Juliet Parrish