August 2020

Article
Vans: Health & Safety
6 TIPS FOR GOOD VAN HYGIENE
Despite the easing of some restrictions, observing the new health and safety guidelines is
essential while the threat of Covid-19 remains.Tim Alcock, Head of Online for
LeaseVan.co.uk, has researched and revealed his six tips to help you practice good hygiene
whilst inside or using a van.
Hygiene is one of those things that everyone is on top of whilst out and about in public spaces, but
it can soon be forgotten about in the comfort of your own space, including that of your van. At
the moment, the majority of the population is more clued up when it comes to hygiene than ever
before, as would be expected during a global pandemic, but it’s important that this is related to our
buildings and vehicles, and not just personal hygiene.
Getting into good habits such as cleaning down tools after each person has used and touched them and
making sure everything is cleaned down before being put into your van will help keep everyone safer. If
you share your van with other people when travelling to or from work, it’s important to ensure that
masks are worn and social distancing is observed as much as possible. It’s also important to try and
limit the amount of people who come in contact with the van.
“Gloves will stop
germs being carried on
your skin, but if you
don’t take them off or
clean them before
entering your van, the
germs will also be
spread inside”
Below are my six top tips when it comes to practising safe van hygiene:
1Food: As tempting as it can be to have a
drive-through or eat in your van, it’s better
for you – and the hygiene in the van – if
you eat outside. Find a park or pull over by a river
and spend a few minutes taking in the fresh air. It
means that you won’t find any crumbs in the van,
helping keep it tidier and more hygienic. Any
rubbish you may carry should also be disposed of
straight away. Keeping your van tidy is definitely
more hygienic, and it will have a positive impact
on the way employers and customers look at you.
2Sanitiser: Hand sanitiser is one of the
easiest ways to stop any germs you pick
up being transferred into the van. Get into
the habit of always sanitising or cleaning your
hands before you get into the van to reduce the
number of germs in the cab. Keeping sanitiser
about your person, and using it before you open
the door is a great habit to get into.
3Passengers: If you normally travel with a
passenger, it’s important that social
distancing is maintained at all times. It
should also become a habit to wear a face mask
when sharing the cab with another person. Try to
also reduce the number of people that come into
contact with the vehicle as much as possible.
4Clean: Give your van a good clean inside
with an antiseptic wipe at the end of every
day or in-between jobs. Pay special
attention to places you touch a lot, such as the
steering wheel and gear stick. However, make
sure you don’t ignore the harder-to-reach areas,
such as pockets and dashboards, as this is often
where most of the dirt collects.
5Tools: Wipe down all your tools as they
enter the van to ensure unwanted germs
aren’t brought in. This is especially
important if several people have been touching
the tools – although they should also be cleaned
in between uses.
6PPE: Depending on the type of PPE you
use and how close you come in contact
with other people whilst on the job, it may
be necessary to wear a new set as you enter each
new building or place of work. Gloves will stop
germs being carried on your skin, but if you don’t
take them off or clean them before entering your
van, the germs will also be spread inside – ready
for you to pick them up if you drive with no
gloves.
Contact LeaseVan.co.uk
0344 745 1616
www.leasevan.co.uk
54 TC AUGUST 2020