May/June Issue 61 - Flipbook - Page 8
NEWS
VEHICLE CLEANLINESS AT ANNUAL TEST
Every day, our Vehicle Standards
Assessors (VSAs) put thousands
of vehicles and trailers through
their annual test.
- wiping down areas that the VSA
needs to touch (eg. the dashboard,
doors and vehicle controls)
refusing to test.
Working together
- storing essential items in their
correct positions (eg. fire
extinguisher, hard hat)
Refusing a test is something we do
not want to do. But keeping DVSA
staff and others safe remains our
priority.
If the standards cannot be met on
the day, we’ll issue an official refusal.
- clearing away any items like food
Trying to find another appointment
They carry out this work to make sure wrappers, bottles and tissues from
could cause delays in getting the
vehicle operators can keep safe and
areas that need to be accessed (eg. vehicle back on the road.
moving during the pandemic.
seats and footwells)
Clean vehicles and COVID-19
Across the transport industry, we’ve
worked together to put procedures
in place to protect drivers, staff and
other colleagues.
- tidying away any other items that
could get in the VSA’s way
This includes a greater focus on
making sure vehicles are regularly
cleaned.
Below is an example of a vehicle
presented for test where the
standards were not met.
We’ve always had a standard for
vehicle cleanliness at test. It’s a
common sense approach which
helps our VSAs to carry out their
inspections without any restrictions.
Refusing a test
Presenting at test
VSAs know our policy on vehicle
cleanliness and if there’s time, they
will give the operator/presenter a
chance to clean the cab before
We do not expect your vehicle or
trailer to have a full valet before its
test.
But our staff do have to get into the
cab as part of the inspection. So
wiping down the interior of the vehicle
beforehand is really important.
The government has issued guidance
about how to keep transport clean
and prevent the transmission
of coronavirus from touching
contaminated surfaces.
This should also be part of your
procedures.
What we are asking operators/
presenters to do?
Our VSAs need to be satisfied that
the interior of the vehicle has recently
been cleaned.
This includes:
08
There are a handful of occasions we
refuse to test a vehicle because of
issues with cleanliness.
Vehicles which are cleaned in line
with the guidance will avoid a refusal
– and show our staff that you value
their work and commitment as we
continue to test during the pandemic.
Keeping vehicles clean will help
prevent the spread of coronavirus.
We are grateful to the vast majority
of operators and presenters who
are taking time to adhere to these
measures.
