A new addition to commercial vehicle safety and security specialist Viper Guard will help operators ensure they're on top of the latest directive from Brussels - literally! 

Supplying a ladder from the Safety-Mate range of four variants means owners are fully compliant with the European Working Height Directive, which has just been extended to cover commercial vehicles outside the depot.

Falls from vehicles while loading or unloading or during maintenance are the second most common cause of injury to drivers and other personnel in the road haulage industry, and operators face heavy penalties, as well as possible negligence claims, if they are found to be at fault. Last year one major fleet was fined £120,000 with £28,000 costs after a driver was killed in a fall of just two metres.

Viper Guard General Manager Debbie Jones said: "The Working Height Directive requires managers, directors, and owners to ensure safe access to all parts of the vehicle, not just in the depot but on the road as well.
"The penalties for failing to fit adequate equipment are heavy - but as the Safety-Mate range starts at just £62 plus VAT, there's no need to incur excessive costs to ensure full compliance."

The range's safety handles fold flat in seconds, and it can be stowed without taking up valuable cargo space.

Also new to the Viper Guard range is the Safety Trim itself, a wheel nut movement indicator that, uniquely, locks loosened wheel nuts in place and prevents further movement.
A recent Transport Research Laboratory survey of 521 drivers found some 208,000 incidences of loosened wheel nuts resulting in 4,500 actual wheel detachments a year and recommended movement indicators as mandatory equipment. It also found that the Safety Trim was the ONLY safety device that locked loose wheel nuts in place pending full remedial action.

Further information:
Debbie Jones - 07703 556148 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Nick Blake - 01789 471515 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it