The CHAS Vehicle Compliance Scheme for fleet operators

Fleet operations – the key risks

Standards and accreditations are an excellent way to improve, benchmark and ensure compliant vehicle operations – and compliant vehicle operations make for safer operations. The CHAS Vehicle Compliance Standard is a new way for fleet operators to align their fleet safety with their existing health and safety procedures.

CHAS is a leading provider of risk prevention, compliance and supply chain management services. As a co-founder of the Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and the Common Assessment Standard, CHAS helps organisations manage and mitigate risk across a range of business-critical areas such as health and safety, equal opportunities, diversity and environmental management practices.

What fleet compliance standard should I follow?

CHAS product owner Jonathan Mwambingu says: “Over the last few years, we’d had feedback from clients and contractors suggesting there is a demand for a fleet compliance standard to help monitor and mitigate risks within their supply chains. Being able to assess risk management practices is a very important part of the procurement process.”

CHAS has worked with National Highways and Driving for Better Business to create the CHAS Vehicle Compliance Scheme, which assesses the compliance and safety of work vehicles or fleet operations across 14 key risk areas covering the driver, the vehicle, record keeping and safe working practices. It enables businesses to demonstrate to clients and stakeholders that they are managing work-related road risk, by ensuring that the vehicles they operate are safe and roadworthy and that their drivers are trained and competent.

Drivers – the crucial safety & legal requirements

Many businesses view their transport operations as a necessary function, rather than a specialised skill. As a result, they may lack a dedicated fleet manager to oversee vehicle operations, leading to potential oversight of crucial safety and legal requirements. These oversights can include driver entitlements, domestic drivers’ hours rules, pre-use checks, regular service intervals, inspections, and overall roadworthiness.

Health and safety is all too often divorced from essential road risk management, when in fact road risk is a fundamental component of an employer’s duty of care.

CHAS Vehicle Compliance Scheme

To address these challenges, the CHAS Vehicle Compliance Scheme offers an effective assessment framework. By participating in this scheme, fleets can ensure they operate at the highest legal standards and embrace best practices. This enhances safety and demonstrates a commitment to transport excellence.

The CHAS VCS involves a self-assessment, with documentation and evidence submitted through a provided portal. CHAS members are then supported in learning about fleet best practice and continuing their safety journey The scheme is applicable to light commercial vehicles (LCVs) not exceeding 3.5 tonnes GVW.

CHAS charges an annual subscription for the Vehicle Compliance Service determined by fleet size. Companies can find more information by either clicking here or by calling 0345 521 9222 between the hours of 8am and 5:30pm Monday – Friday.