Operators running Category C licence vehicles need to ensure they have qualified drivers in reserve or risk running out of drivers.
RED Driver Risk Management said it’s seeing firms putting increasing number of drivers through training to operate such vehicles (3.5 to 7.5 tonnes GVW) due to both increased mechanisation and Covid isolation rules.
But CEO Seb Goldin warned that companies not increasing their training provision risk running out of drivers, in particular in the utility sector where the increase in mechanisation means more jobs can only be done with specialist machinery in order to meet health and safety requirements.
“We are seeing that for many jobs now, health and safety protocols mean specialist equipment needs to be used. For example, where once a ladder might have been adequate, now firms are required to use a cherry picker. It is certainly safer, but vehicles such as those need qualified drivers and so firms need to ensure they have enough capacity, or risk being unable to complete work because they can’t get the equipment to site,” Goldin explained.
Added to this is the need to have enough capacity to weather Covid absences; the issue of employees being exposed to coronavirus and required to isolate can mean that firms run out of qualified drivers unexpectedly.
RED DRM has seen a 125% increase in bookings for Category C licence courses in the past six months as companies recognise they are at risk of running out of drivers.
And it says firms who have not addressed the issue yet should ensure a second employee is trained in reserve.
Goldin added: “All companies should have a pool of back-up drivers with qualifications to drive C/C1 vehicles as this gives them cover for illness, as well as covid isolation requirements and general staff turnover.
“In many cases in the rail and utility sector, if a vehicle cannot get to the job because of a lack of qualified driver, then the crew of workers cannot complete their job.
“Many of the vehicles involved are specialist equipment – welding vehicles, cherry pickers, etc, as well as staff welfare vehicles.”
