Join us for Episode 11 of The Safer Schools Podcast as we welcome special guest John Peterson, Director of Minibus Services at Rivervale Leasing, to discuss effective minibus management, including:
- Section 19 permits and PSV (Public Service Vehicle) operator licences
- Safe vehicles – insurance, road tax, MOTs, servicing, safety inspections, daily/weekly walkaround checks, and the need for robust defect reporting procedures
- Safe drivers – general requirements, licenses, insurance conditions, driver training, the type of checks required for your drivers, the importance of compiling and maintaining a list of approved drivers, and the need to control access to minibus keys
- Safe journeys – driver fatigue and the need for drivers to be well rested and take regular breaks when driving, seat belts and child restraints, route considerations, weather and traffic conditions, refuelling considerations, pick up/drop off points for home to school services, supervision of passengers, and the need for robust procedures in the event of a breakdown or accident
- The need for a clear policy outlining your arrangements to ensure safe vehicles, safe drivers, and safe journeys; and
- The need for appropriate risk assessments covering your minibus activities.
Taking out a minibus full of kids on the road in this country is probably the most dangerous thing your school does. Driving generally can be one of the most dangerous things anyone does at work!
So, if you’re responsible for overseeing H&S, compliance, or transport in a school, then this is the episode for you!
Let’s start a conversation on how we can make our schools safer!
To listen to Episode 11 just click on the button below, and don’t forget to subscribe in your podcast app (available in Podbean, Spotify, and Amazon Music).
Questions, comments, suggestions for topics? This is your Podcast too…
Drop an email to: info@pearsonwebb.co.uk
We’ve provided links below to the various guidance documents and other resources referred to in this episode:
- Department for Transport reported road collisions, vehicles and casualties tables for Great Britain RAS0502 Vehicles Involved and Involvement Rates: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/reported-road-accidents-vehicles-and-casualties-tables-for-great-britain#vehicles-and-drivers-ras05
- Link to further information on Rivervale’s free app My Minibus Manager: https://www.rivervale.co.uk/minibus/compliance-and-training/walkaround-checks#:~:text=How%20does%20our%20free%20app,providing%20you%20have%20internet%20access.
- The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) suite of guidance documents on transport, including Transport General Considerations, Transport in Minibuses (which includes a section on towing trailers) and Seat Belts and Child Restraints: https://oeapng.info/downloads/download-category/transport/
- Check to see what vehicles you can drive: https://www.gov.uk/vehicles-can-drive
- Zapmap – map of electric charging points across the UK: https://www.zap-map.com/live/
- Link to further information on driver training courses provided by Rivervale: https://www.rivervale.co.uk/minibus/compliance-and-training/driver-training
- Link to further information on the Minibus Management course provided by Rivervale: https://www.rivervale.co.uk/minibus/compliance-and-training/minibus-management-course
- Contact details for our guest John Peterson:
- Office: 01869 253 744
- Mobile: 07919 388 496
- Email: john@rivervale.co.uk
- Website: https://www.rivervale.co.uk/minibus/
