The maintenance aspect of all Operators is one which often draw unwanted attention from the enforcement authorities, which in turn often leads to an uncomfortable experience in front of the Traffic Commissioners.
A quote often used is “you can delegate the activity, but not the responsibility” relating to maintenance, and this is very much the case, particularly in regards to external maintenance providers. The standards of these providers is often lacking the expectations of the DVSA, and we often encounter poor maintenance records whilst reviewing Operators records.
It is considered best practice (reference section 5. Safety inspection & repair facilities – Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness) that maintenance facilities demonstrate their competence by achieving a recognized accreditation for workshop standards. The IRTE National Workshop Accreditation Scheme being the best known. RHN Consultancy Ltd are currently engaging with the IRTE towards delivery of the heavily revised Workshop Accreditation Scheme due to be launched mid 2024.
We can currently undertake workshop audits of both Internal and external provision utilising the existing V7 version of the IRTE workshop audit document.
Understanding your compliance exposure from your maintenance provisions is vital, RHN Consultancy Ltd have 2 fully qualified IRTEC registered technicians who can undertake this for you in either Freight or Passenger transport environments, please contact us for further details.
