Home study 'fails the grade'
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• Home-study courses covering the transportation of dangerous substances by road were slammed this week as being potentially misleading and lacking proper supervision.
Eddie Pargeter of EP Training Services in Esher, Surrey says that companies advertising home-study dangerous-goods courses including ADR, ignore the fact that the only recognised certificate for ADR is issued after attending a threeday Hazfreight course. These must be conducted by companies under the National (Dangerous Substances) Driver Training Scheme.
Pargeter says that drivers may be misled into thinking they can drive on the Continent after taking a home-study course which quotes ADR approval. He also questions the supervision of these courses and their failure to demonstrate hazards visually.
"What guarantee is there that the person who submits the exam paper has completed it themselves, or has not simply looked up the answers?" asks Pargeter.
But one home-study organiser says: "The legislation only calls for training. You will credit us with setting an exam, even though this is not a requirement. Any suitable training course for tankers can be approved by the Department of Transport for ADR purposes."