“cctv/drainage vehicle buyers guide – don’t buy a · pdf file5. to get the...

© Morevan Services Ltd. Morevan Services Ltd. • Units 49/50 • Station Lane Industrial Estate • Old Whittington • Chesterfield S41 9QX

T: 01246 453756 • F: 01246 261548 • E: [email protected]

Giving you the best opportunity to ensure you get the right vehicle for your business and customers.

Introduction

How do you ensure you are buying the right CCTV/Drainage vehicle for your

business and customers? How should you check the vehicle complies with current legislation and

performance criteria? The purpose of this guide is to give you the answers to these vitally important

questions. The decision to take on a new CCTV vehicle isn’t easy. Choosing the right

vehicle and supplier can literally mean the success of your business or the failure of it. It’s that critical. That’s why this guide has been written – it’s to make sure you have the necessary understanding to make this decision. In fact, there are five main reasons why you should read this report:

1. To give you the ability to select the right vehicle for your business. 2. To reduce the risk associated with the decision you have to make. 3. To give you confidence to change to a new vehicle. 4. To understand current legislation. 5. To get the best overall investment for your business.

After reading this guide I promise you one thing – you’ll be able to make a more

informed decision on purchasing a fitted vehicle. It won’t guarantee the success of your business. It will give you the best possible chance of achieving your goals and objectives for your business …

“CCTV/Drainage Vehicle Buyers Guide – DON’T Buy a Fitted Vehicle Until You’ve Read These Facts”



Section 1 – Current Legislation

How To Understand What Is Required From The Marketplace

I believe the best starting point is to familiarise yourself with the ‘bibles’ of the

CCTV surveying business:-

• Model Contract Document for Sewer Condition Inspection – 2nd Edition published in March 2005 (Order Code: DUS026X, ISBN # - 1 898920 56 7)

• Manual of Sewer Condition Classification – 4th Edition published in January 2004 (Order Code: DUS021X, ISBN # - 1 898920 50 8)

• The Drain Repair Book – 2nd Edition published in December 2005 (Order Code: DUS028x, ISBN # - 1 898920 89 1)

These publications are available from:- WRc Publications - http://www.webookshop.com (Alternatively, you can call 01793 865069 or 01793 865012) For any contractor covering both domestic (private drainage) and strategic

CCTV surveys I advise you to obtain all three publications. I would recommend any new business be familiar with all three ‘bibles’.

So, what’s in these bibles? The Model Contract Document For Sewer Condition Inspection 2nd Edition

(MCDSCI2) includes updated CCTV vehicle specifications, the requirements for carrying flow control, traffic signs, cones, barriers etc.

I have also included brief information of the other two ‘bibles’ although they

don’t have a direct impact on the type of vehicle you use.



In the Manual Of Sewer Condition Classification 4 (MSCC4) you have all of the condition codes used in the UK. The codes used in the UK (4th Edition) have been adapted to the UK national equivalent codes and appear in BS EN 13508-2 (CEN 2003).

The MSCC4 also covers the basics of CCTV inspection as well as guidance on the

use of the coding system for condition inspection of manholes. The Drain Repair Book 2nd Edition is made up of four sections; guidance on the

inspection and condition assessment of drains, a specification for the repair of drains, a materials specification for cured-in-place pipe repair systems and guidance on septic tanks. The code set (Appendix A) used in the Drain Repair Book 2nd Edition is a simplified code set from the MSCC4.

Decide On What Is Important To You

You must ask yourself, “What do I want this Drainage vehicle to do?” Be specific. Write down precisely what you want. For example:-

• What diameters do I need to inspect/clean/repair which will dictate whether you need portable or a mainline CCTV system?

• What lengths do I need to inspect – large or small drums and coilers.

• Is the system to be operated from a vehicle or on its own.

• Does the vehicle need its own power source

• Will you be reporting (CCTV surveys) on site via a PC or laptop?

• What welfare facilities must I provide?

• How is the system repaired and serviced?

• What is the real cost of a fitted drainage vehicle?

The Basics To Consider

These are some of the basics to look out for when buying or specifying a vehicle:-

1. Vehicle Selection

Pay careful attention to gross vehicle weight and payload weight limits as specified by the vehicle manufacturer.

Example

Long wheel base Mercedes 311 Sprinter – Payload 1300 Kg. Medium wheel base Mercedes 311 Sprinter – Payload 1500Kg.

The bigger the van, the lower the payload.

Select Hi-roof, if you need to stand inside the vehicle. You cannot stand up in standard roof vehicles.



2. Overloading The Vehicle Always check the weight of the vehicle over a weighbridge. Use a local authority weighbridge with computer print out tickets. This will satisfy the police if you are stopped for a weight check.

Weigh the vehicle before you start adding cones, road signs, loose tools etc. Then weigh after all these items are added. If the payload is close to the limit keep control of additional items that accumulate.

3. Inadequate Electrical Safety

Inadequate wiring. 230-volt mains power in a vehicle can be dangerous, use only flexible multi strand cables and not standard flat twin and earth domestic cable, which is not flexible.

Remember – a vehicle does not have an earth, an RCD and neutral earth wiring is essential, as any fault without this protection would make the whole vehicle ‘live’. Ensure that all electrical work complies with and passes Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition and BS7671:2008

4. Poor Storage & Racking A quick glance will show any obvious spaces where tools or equipment should be stored. Leaving tools and equipment on site can be expensive both in terms of replacement or wasted man-hours.

A place for everything and everything in its place!

5. Fire Risk From Petrol Cans

Higher risk from loose petrol tanks - Carrying fuel in quantity carries a risk, therefore where this can be minimised under DSEAR Regulations, then the risk is reduced. It therefore makes sense to use an on-board generator with integral fuel tank which gives a full days operation.

An inverter system removes the need for petrol and is totally silent in operation which is ideal for night work or work in sensitive areas such as Hospitals.

6. Health & Safety Regulations Compliance Full compliance with Health and Safety Regulations. The vehicle should be fitted with hot water hand wash facilities, comply with Highway Safety Regulations and minimise lifting requirements for individual operators.



7. Incorrect Use Of Materials

All surfaces in dirty area to be wipe clean. Plywood finish is not considered wipe clean as accumulation of noxious substances can be a risk to health and restrict efficient operation of the vehicle.

8. Poor Insulation

Un-insulated vans allow accumulation of condensation and videos, DVD recorders, PC’s left over night, become damp and may have to be dried out before work can commence. This can lose an hour or so of the working day and reduce the life of the equipment.

9. Portable Generators

Onboard generator vs. portable. It has been shown that a 10% productivity improvement is obtained by using an onboard generator instead of loading and unloading a portable unit and plugging it into the vehicle. It is wholly inadvisable to keep an air-cooled generator running for extended periods in the vehicle without forced ventilation.

Make sure the generator selected will control voltage output via an automatic voltage regulator. Cheap generators with capacitor excitation are not suitable for CCTV, PC and video equipment

10. Poor Design Ensure the design of the vehicle allows for servicing of items like the generator. Make sure that critical pieces of equipment like PC’s and power supplies can be easily swapped out to reduce downtime. It should take minutes to exchange a PC (rack mounted) not hours!

Avoid at all costs bulkheads built around equipment. All key pieces of equipment should be rack mounted for safety and longevity of life.

The Real Cost Of Owning a Drainage Vehicle

In fact, here’s a great approach to buying goods and services based on

price…

Value …….

It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s unwise to pay too little.

When you pay too much you lose a little money, that is all. When you pay too little you

sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the

thing you bought it to do.

The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can’t

be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it’s well to add something for the risk you

run. And if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.

John Ruskin (1819 – 1900)



Health & Safety Executive Key Annual Figures 2007/08

Injuries

• 229 workers were killed at work, a rate of 0.8 per 100 000 workers.

• 136 771 other injuries to employees were reported under RIDDOR, a rate of

517.9 per 100 000 employees.

• 299 000 reportable injuries occurred, according to the Labour Force Survey,

a rate of 1000 per 100 000 workers.

Working days lost

• 34 million days were lost overall (1.4 days per worker), 28 million due to

work-related ill health and 6 million due to workplace injury.

Ill health

• 2.1 million people were suffering from an illness they believed was caused or

made worse by their current or past work.

• 1.3 million of these cases were suffered by people working during the year,

of which 563 000 were new cases.

• 2056 people died of mesothelioma (2006), and thousands more from other

occupational cancers and lung diseases

Prosecutions taken by HSE

In 2007/08, there were 1 137 offences prosecuted by HSE that were heard in that year. Of these, 1 028 were completed, resulting in 839 convictions (82%). Of the 1 028 figure, two offences, both leading to convictions, relate to railways. These were initiated by HSE, although this industry is now enforced by ORR.

The average penalty per conviction in 2007/08 was £12 896. If fines of £100 000 and above are excluded, this gives an average penalty of £7 809.

The figure of 1 028 offences prosecuted represents individual breaches of separate health and safety legislation, and a dutyholder may be prosecuted for more than one breach within the same prosecution case. In 2007/08, the 1028 offences prosecuted represents 565 cases, of which there were 537 cases (95%) where a conviction was secured against at least one breach.



Let me illustrate the potential consequences of failing to comply with current Health & Safety Regulations. Below are a couple of actual cases that were prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive. (Further details can be found on the HSE web site – www.hse.gov.uk).

Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust – Were prosecuted for a breach of the Electricity at Work Regulations reg(4)2. An employee received an electric shock whilst cleaning. Lack of PPM lead to damage and exposure of live conductors at 240 volts and absence of earthing and supplementary earthing. They received a £3,000 fine plus £1,626 in costs. A total of £4,626. Case number; F110000743.

LEEC Ltd – Were prosecuted for lack of maintenance under the Electricity at Work Regulations reg 4(2). They were fined £4,500 for 3 separate breaches. A total of £13,500. Case numbers; F130000426, F130000427 & F130000428.

What tends to catch out many companies are the hidden costs: -

• The HSE may serve notice requiring the company to implement improvement notices. These can cost a substantial amount of money and the company may find that it does not have long to implement them. So you cannot shop around.

• Your insurance costs will rise.

• You will be paying injured staff to stay at home on sick pay.

• You may need to pay other staff overtime to make up for their increased work load.

• The HSE has a name and shame policy. If you get an improvement notice, prohibition notice or if taken to court they WILL publish your company’s name with limited details of the failing on their web site. That will allow future and present clients to see that you have had a failure. If that happens then you can expect to loose customers.

• Bad publicity, especially from local newspapers that are desperate for a small story to be made big will not help.

• You may have to replace equipment and vehicles etc.

• Increased tyre and engine wear with increased fuel consumption. Etc, etc.

• If there is a pollution incident, the Environment Agency can, under UK legislation authorise the immediate clean up. Any costs incurred to clean up and make good WILL be met by your company. No questions asked and the EA does not have to waste time going for competitive bids. In essence, they bring in the people that they want and you foot the bill.



All Joints & Seams Sealed

Chequer Plate For Extended Wear

Heavy Duty Strapping For Safe Transit

Rear Weathershield For Protection

Certified & Tested Electrical Installation

Industrial 19” Racking For Safe Transit & Service

Welfare Facilities To Keep You Working!

Self-locking Storage Drawers

Details Of Good Practical Vehicle Finishing



Conclusion

We’ve highlighted the main factors for you to consider before investing in a drainage vehicle. Hopefully you’ve seen from this brief report we have all the answers. Sure, you can figure out all this stuff yourself. But that could take weeks or possibly months of your time.

Now is the time to take the next step by calling us for a free no obligation quotation for the supply of your next vehicle.

CALL 01246 453756

“cctv/drainage vehicle buyers guide – don’t buy a · pdf file5. to get the...

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