When you have a new employee at your business, there are stages that you need to follow and put in place. After the interviews and the new staff member has been given the advanced driving UK safety equipment or employee handbook, you need look at initial van driver training.

Initial Van Driver Training

• Every driver, particularly younger or less experienced drivers, should be instructed to drive and carry out vehicle safety checks daily and other work requirements carefully. This is a key part of van driver training that is essential for advanced driving in the UK.
• By law, employers must give employees adequate van driver training to ensure health and safety is in place when they join the company and when they are exposed to new/increased risks in the advanced driving UK workplace.
• Where possible employers should tailor fleet safety training to the worker’s individual needs.

Questions to Ask

When you plan van driver training for new drivers and operators you should ask yourself these few questions:

• What experience do they have of the advanced driving UK vehicles they will use?
• What work will they be doing?
• What are the recognised standards and qualifications for advanced driving UK or operating the vehicle they will use?
• How much fleet safety training will they need?
• At what level should this van driver training be at?

The answers can help you decide how much fleet safety training each worker needs, and at what level. Drivers often need many more skills for advanced driving in the UK than simply controlling a vehicle when it is moving. Many vehicles used in the workplace have specialised attachments and there are other skills to learn about in fleet safety training, e.g. loading, unloading, trimming, sheeting.

Van driver training in safe working practices should also highlight the risks of unsafe working, such as:

• driving too fast
• turning too sharply
• driving on unsuitable ground or slopes
• use of mobile phones
• height restrictions
• eco driving
• planning and awareness
• distractions
• in vans and large vehicles, 3 points of contact

Van Driver Training Records

Keeping fleet safety training records for each employee on a central register is important. They can help you identify the driver in the event that something goes wrong, like speeding. These records should include:

• Name
• Training history
• Training needs
• Planned training
• Details of vehicles that employee can drive and is competent to operate

You should refer to these details regularly, especially when you change vehicles or ways of working. Then, retrain if needed, especially if the risk is increased, or new vehicles are introduced that operate differently.

It is also recommended that you provide van driver training yearly to maximise the opportunity of communication of new standards or procedures of advanced driving UK with staff. This will then ensure that your staff are at and remain at low risk whilst driving for your business.

If you would like any more information on how to provide the best fleet safety training for your advanced driving UK business, get in touch. Our website is full of helpful blogs and we are happy to give you essential advice.