AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Late standards hit haz training

25th July 1996, Page 16
25th July 1996
Page 16
Page 16, 25th July 1996 — Late standards hit haz training
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

by Derren Hayes • A delay in Department of Transport guidelines governing hazardous goods driver training schools could lead to a shortage of correctly trained drivers, say industry experts.

By 1 January 1997 all 120 UK hazardous goods driver training centres and their instructors must meet tougher new standards currently being drawn up by the DOT.

These standards were due to be released in early July but the earliest they can now be expected is mid-September, reducing the time available to train instructors.

Once training centres receive the new standards they will have to prepare revised training programmes which will have to be approved by the DOT—this is likely to take four weeks.

Instructors will then have to take the course and wait six weeks for their new certificates.

Peter Newport, logistics director of the UK's largest chemical distributor, Ellis and Everard, fears that the rush to get qualified will affect the standard of the courses.

"It's a tight time schedule," he says. "Centres will have to read them, understand them, write them up and get them approved before instructors can even take the course. Some will try and get it out quickly instead of making sure the quality is right."

E The DOT guidelines are being up-dated to come in line with new EC dangerous goods transport rules. Some industry sectors will have to follow these rules for the first time, so more instructors and drivers will have to take the exam.

To make sure instructors are qualified by 1997 the exam will have to be taken by mid-November.

Tags

Organisations: Department of Transport
People: Peter Newport

comments powered by Disqus