What is this PAS about?
People working on motorway hard shoulders and high speed carriageways have a dangerous job. As a result of six fatal accidents in one year, PAS 43 was developed to improve the safety of UK roadside assistance operators.
Who is this PAS for?
- Roadside assistance providers of all kinds, including specialists dealing with tyres, fuel, etc.
- The emergency services
- Those working on behalf of government agencies
- Purchasers of assistance services
- Courts and the HSE, who use the PAS as a benchmark for safety working practices
Why should you use this PAS?
It specifies requirements for a management system intended to provide safe working arrangements for road recovery operator technicians and other road users.
It outlines best practice procedures for:
- Attending vehicle breakdowns and their recovery and/or removal
- Other aspects of vehicle breakdown, recovery and removal by specifying requirements for;
- The type, maintenance and safety marking of road recovery vehicles and their equipment
- The training, competence and behaviour of road recovery technicians
- The use of personal safety and protective equipment and clothing (PPE) by road recovery technicians
- The maintenance and organization of road recovery operators’ premises
- The effective implementation and maintenance of standard operating procedures
NOTE: PAS 43 might apply at locations other than at the roadside which are controlled by other regulations and best practice.
What’s changed since the last update?
The PAS has been clarified and strengthened by stakeholder feedback. Main changes from the 2015 edition include:
- Clause 6 and Clause 7 regarding the requirements for road recovery vehicles and their equipment have been updated
- Clause 9, Clause 10 and Annex C regarding training, competence and behaviour of road recovery technicians have been extensively revised including examples of training and assessment for vehicle technicians and specialist job roles
