Scaffolding contractors are being urged to review load security, driver fatigue and vehicle checks after NASC highlighted a new free truck-safety toolkit.
In a briefing published on 9 November, the trade body warned that road risks can be overlooked when site deadlines and transport demands take priority.
It singled out heavy, irregular scaffold loads that can move during journeys, long working days across multiple sites and daily vehicle checks squeezed by tight schedules. Smaller firms without a dedicated fleet manager can also lack a formal system for managing road risk.
The Truck Driver Toolkit was developed by Driving for Better Business, a National Highways programme, with Transport for West Midlands. It was launched in West Bromwich on 4 November.
The free resource covers tiredness, vehicle checks, safe loads, journey planning and blind spots. It joins existing van and car toolkits, allowing contractors running mixed fleets to brief different groups of drivers.
Responsibility stays with the operator
NASC also pointed contractors towards its existing SG30:25 Management of Road Transport guidance. This covers operator licensing, driver competence, load securing, work on vehicles, site traffic and tachographs, with templates for defect reports and maintenance records.
DVSA guidance makes clear that both drivers and operators are responsible for roadworthiness. Contracting out maintenance does not remove the operator’s responsibility for vehicle condition.
Drivers or a designated responsible person must carry out a walkaround check before using a vehicle on the road. Defects making it unroadworthy must be fixed before it is used.
For scaffold firms, the practical focus is on how vehicles leave the yard, how loads remain secure between jobs and whether schedules leave drivers fit for the next journey.
The toolkit is available free. SG30:25 is free to NASC members and can be purchased by non-members.
