making your van efficient and safe

Properly designed and configured interiors help users to store more in the same space. This might mean, for example, that a service engineer can carry more spares which would lead to a higher first time fix rate for greater customer satisfaction and reduced overall service costs because fewer return visits are required. Finding parts more quickly in the back of the van increases productivity.

Imagine a situation where a driver takes an extra couple of minutes searching through the back of the van to find a hammer, pipe fitting, spanner or lock for fitting at a customer’s premises. The time wasted soon adds up and might be the difference between a profitable business and one that struggles. And an untidy van never makes a good impression.

The simple answer is to keep everything in proper storage facilities such as shelves, drawers or cases. This helps keep the vehicle well organised and ensures the floorspace is kept clear for carrying occasional equipment, supplies or materials. In addition to the time savings involved with well organised storage, items are less likely to get damaged before they are used and it is easier to keep them clean.

Van users are increasingly aware of the need for greater safety. On top of the various Acts, regulations and guidelines, owners and operators have a duty of care to their employees and co-workers to make sure equipment (including vehicles) is suitable for job.

Workplace transport accidents result in around 70 fatalities and cost approximately £540 million every year according to the latest figures. Thousands of people are injured and have to miss work. The available figures do not separate large and small vehicles but it is likely that light commercials make a significant contribution given the number on the road.

One area of potential concern to any driver is the movement of items in the rear of the vehicle during heavy braking and emergencies. Seemingly innocent items can become dangerous heavy missiles when the vehicle has to stop suddenly or is involved in an accident.

Items moving around in the back of the van are potentially dangerous to the driver and passenger. A well organised van should have a bulkhead between the driving area and load space to provide some protection but it would be better to avoid the potential problem in the first place by ensuring items are secured when the vehicle is moving. Large items can be stowed, ideally against the bulkhead, with straps or other restraints while the best solution for smaller items such as hand tools, power tools, materials and supplies is to place them in properly installed cases, shelving, racking and cupboards. The use of locks not only prevents doors and covers from opening unexpectedly but can also promote improved security by eliminating unauthorised access, which may be useful if the vehicle is left at the roadside when the engineer or driver is busy working. Equally important, items moving about are more prone to cause damage or be damaged themselves. Service engineers are likely to be frustrated if the part they need to install for a customer cannot be used because it has been broken while inside the vehicle. High value items need even more protection.

At the moment there are no specific regulations covering commercial vehicle stowage and storage although the Health and Safety at Work Act and a number of regulations are relevant under certain conditions. In general terms these call for the provision of equipment which is appropriate for the tasks in hand. According to one set of regulations a person “is guilty of an offence if he uses, or causes or permits another to use, a motor vehicle…when the condition of the vehicle or its accessories or equipment, or the purpose for which it is used, or the weight, position or distribution of its load, or the manner in which it is secured is such that the use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of injury to any person.”

Anyone who remains to be convinced of the need for improved safety might like to consider that there were around 4000 successful prosecutions brought against drivers and operators last year which related to unsafe loads. While many of these concerned loads falling off larger vehicles as the number and importance of the light commercial continues to rise the various authorities are more likely to turn their attention here in the future.

The prospect of enhancing a commercial vehicle may be daunting to many. This is where Bott can help. We have the expertise to make sure that any vehicle is enhanced to create the productive and safe working environments that modern businesses need. In fact, racking and shelving is no longer the end product but simply the platform for all sorts of other on-board facilities and services. A typical enhancement project is just as likely to involve on board power, lighting, workshop equipment, washing facilities, safety equipment, graphics or anything else that will help the end user improve their business.

Bott Ltd is the UK’s leading manufacturer and installer of in-vehicle storage equipment. Its Normline storage systems include shelving units, drawer service case units, lockers, bulkheads, floors and linings and in-house signs and graphics department. The company employs 300 people in the UK, provides extensive fleet installation, conversion and preparation services at its facilities in Ashby, Leicestershire and Cumbernauld, Scotland and manufactures products to ISO9001 manufacturing and ISO14001 environmental standards at its factory in Cornwall. It has operated in the UK for more than 30 years and is part of the German-owned international Bott Group.