What are they?
Daily pre-start checks are a visual safety inspection of a heavy vehicle prior to its operation, with the purpose of the inspection being to identify any hazards or maintenance issues relating the safe operation of the vehicle.
Any defects noted during the course of the inspection should be noted and reported to management for scheduling of remedial action. In the case of major defects that could pose a safety risk to the driver or the public, the repairs may need to be actioned immediately before the vehicle can be utilised.
What items are required to be checked?
The NHVR has a handy generic checklist available to get things started and that list can be augmented to suit individual operations and equipment types.
Checklists and specific inspectable items vary between different equipment types and loads being transported. For example, a dangerous goods vehicle will have a more comprehensive list of checkable items due to the volatility of loads being transported and the extra safety equipment fitted to the vehicle such as fire extinguishers (are they in date?) and emergency eye-wash bottles (minimum of 500mls in the dispenser). So, it pays to tailor daily pre-start checklist to suit individual operations.
Generally speaking, the daily checklist covers visual inspections that can be easily seen by the driver. The list below are the bare minimum of any daily inspection.
- Tyres
- Lights
- Engine and fluids
- Operation of wipers and washer
- Fluid or air leaks
- Operation of wipers and washers
- General body and cabin condition
- trailer coupling, air and electrical connections
- Seat belts and other safety equipment
What is the purpose of the Daily pre-start check?
The purpose of the inspection is to ensure that all heavy vehicles comply with vehicle standards section 60 which states – The use of a heavy vehicle on a road that does not comply can result in an infringement or the issue of a defect notice.
Safety benefits of the daily pre-start check are obvious, however additional financial benefits are to be had also. Small issues identified early before becoming major issues can be actioned in a controlled environment before escalating into expensive roadside call-outs.
Is a paper based pre-start check good enough?
In my experience, paper reporting is still by far the most common form of daily pre-start record-keeping, however a transition to digital reporting is increasing in popularity through tablets fitted to fleet vehicles.
While the checking process is the same, digital programmes and checklists provide immediate upload of faults and in some cases provide photo uploading capability highlighting repairs required. The real-time submitting of data can streamline the reporting and archiving process reducing the administrative burden of following up missing paperwork and filing.
How do fleet operators know the checks are being completed?
Short answer is, you probably don’t; but you need you to find a way. Whether it’s a piece of paper with the appropriate numbers of ticks etched upon it, or a tablet recording screen taps, the reality is you are trusting that the drivers are actually performing the inspections as they are intended. Unfortunately, trust is normally not accepted as a defence if there is a workplace incident.
In my experience checking compliance could be anywhere from, inspecting to the letter of the checklist or, a quick part check and out the gate, and the worst is no checks at all.
My top 3 tips for Fleet Managers to increase the level of daily pre-start check conformance are:
- Follow up on all maintenance issues raised during pre-start inspections – Nothing kills driver conformance enthusiasm more than raising maintenance issues and nothing ever getting done about them.
- Make sure drivers are trained and competent to carry out the necessary inspections – In almost 30-years of driving trucks, I have only once (and that was only last year) been “walked through” a pre-start checklist relevant to the truck I had been tasked with operating.
- Make the task easier and safer – Checking of fluid levels should form part of any good daily inspection checklist, and at some point, replenishing the levels will be required. Making available small containers easily lifted by one hand suitable for topping up oils and coolant and not 20-litre drums will go a long way in encouraging the task to be completed. Lifting 20-litre drums of coolant up to the top of a radiator or header tank while standing on a tyre at 3am is neither pleasant nor safe (risk assessments should be considered) and can lead to waste of consumables to spills.
Chain of responsibility (COR) obligations
Regulations state that COR parties must not use or permit another person to use a Heavy Vehicle on the road that is unsafe where its condition or the condition of its components or equipment is such that using the vehicle would be unsafe or would endanger public safety.
In summary, the operator should have in place, effective maintenance and management systems to monitor vehicle compliance, this also extends to daily vehicle pre-start checks.
