Consultant’s van safety course
DRIVER risk management consultant Adrian Hide has launched a new course in response to the rise in demand for home delivery services during lockdown.
According to the Cheadle businessman, the sudden demand for home delivery has seen car drivers becoming van drivers with no basic training.
Now he has launched an online ‘Safer Van Driving’ course.
Adrian – who runs Adrian Hide Consultancy – said: “As customer demand for home delivery has increased, particularly among restaurants and retail businesses, companies are under more pressure than ever to fulfill orders.
“In my experience, many drivers think because they have a car licence they are all set to drive a van, but that’s just not the case.
“The handling characteristics are different in a van and it’s easy to overload it.
“Also, an amazing number of van drivers have forgotten the basic speed limit rules. For example, the national speed limit for vans on a single carriageway is 50mph.”
He added: “Employers have a legal duty of care to their drivers and must ensure their delivery schedules are realistic, their vehicles are legal, and their drivers are trained so they stay safe and within the law.
“This is why providing van driver training is vital to protect your business, its brand, its reputation and your people’s safety.”
The course takes around 90 minutes to complete, but it is comprised in modules to allow participants to dip in and out.
It covers everything from predrive safety checks to defensive driving techniques.
As an approved training provider with the Stoke-on-trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub, businesses who pay business rates to a Staffordshire authority can reclaim 48 per cent of the cost of any training courses run by Adrian Hide Consultancy.
For information about van driver safety and online training options, call Adrian on 07973 337251, or go to www. adrianhideconsultancy.co.uk/elearning.