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New regulations enforced by The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), the national approval authority for new on and off-road vehicles, place a greater emphasis on the design and manufacturing of welfare vans. Typically, these vehicles are used to transport and shelter roadside workers, including engineers, construction workers and maintenance teams. For new welfare vans to operate legally, they must be VCA approved.
This ensures that vehicles which have been converted from single panel vans to fully functional mobile welfare vans have undergone stringent safety checks and have all the proper documentation. To be VCA approved, the conversion process needs to have aligned with set regulatory standards.
These regulations may make vehicle compliance more complicated, but it’s also hoped they will improve safety standards for road workers, who are employed in the 16th most dangerous occupation in the UK. Considering that welfare vans may be transporting up to seven workers at one time, safety is of utmost importance, especially in the event of a collision.
As welfare units transport hundreds of workers across the country on a day to day basis, they should be considered as an extension of your fleet and so deserve your time and attention.
The consequences of non-compliance
There are severe consequences for cheaply converted vehicles which haven’t been awarded a Type Approval certification. Firstly, your insurance will be null and void, so if your drivers are involved in a collision, the impact to your company’s finances can be substantial. Driving a converted van without a Type Approval certification is breaking the law and as a result, your business can face penalties and legal action.
Businesses need to be able to place trust in a service provider that is fully compliant with the law. If your business has a history of non-compliance with regulatory standards, your reputation and future business opportunities can suffer as a result.
There are even more severe repercussions of non-compliance with VCA regulations. In the rare occurrence that a collision results in a death caused by one of your drivers, the employer can be considered liable and can be convicted of manslaughter.
Ensure standards are met with welfare van hire
At Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, we update our entire fleet on a regular basis. This helps us to ensure that you are supplied with the latest vehicle models which are fully compliant with industry regulations. We appreciate that when it comes to welfare van hire, one size rarely fits all. For all our vehicles, we offer customisations based on your specific business requirements. Minor modifications can even be made when you choose a flexible welfare van hire solution.
For construction workers and other roadside workers, vehicles are typically only required for a few weeks while a project is underway. For this reason, it doesn’t always make sense to purchase welfare vans outright. With our flexible welfare van hire, you can simply use vehicles for as long or as little time as you require, without receiving any additional charges.
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