NHVR Fatigue Management Standard 6: Records and Documentation

Posted by Hubfleet

Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records is a fundamental requirement for ensuring compliance with NHVR Fatigue Management Standard 6. Proper documentation is essential for verifying that fatigue management policies and procedures are being followed, identifying areas for improvement, and demonstrating compliance with the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) requirements. However, businesses often struggle with record-keeping challenges, including maintaining driver work diaries, managing vehicle inspections, ensuring up-to-date training certifications, and handling a large volume of compliance documents. Without a structured system, these tasks can become overwhelming, leading to potential non-compliance. Let’s explore the challenges of meeting Standard 6 and how Hubfleet simplifies record management and compliance tracking for transport operators.

The Standard

Standard 6 focuses on the critical aspect of maintaining accurate and up-to-date records and documentation related to fatigue management within fleet operations. It’s crucial for demonstrating compliance with NHVAS requirements and enabling effective fatigue management.

How to Meet the Standard

Meeting the requirements of NHVR Standard 6, which focuses on records and documentation, can present several challenges for businesses. The standard requires that operators implement, authorise, maintain, and review documented policies and procedures to ensure the effective management, performance, and verification of their Fatigue Management System (FMS). The standard also specifies that records demonstrating compliance with the FMS must be collected, stored, and maintained to verify that the system is working effectively.

Challenges in Meeting the Standard

Here are some of the main challenges businesses face when trying to meet NHVR Standard 6:

• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date driver work diaries: Standard 6 requires that drivers maintain accurate work diaries or logbooks, documenting their driving hours, rest breaks, and other relevant information. This can be challenging if drivers do not consistently record their hours correctly, if logbooks are misplaced or lost, or if the system used is inefficient and cumbersome. Relying on traditional paper logbooks can be labour intensive, error-prone, and does not provide real-time insights.
• Managing vehicle inspection records: Businesses are required to maintain detailed records of vehicle inspections, servicing, and maintenance activities. Keeping these records up to date and ensuring they are easily accessible can be a significant challenge, especially for larger fleets. It is necessary to have systems in place to record repairs and modifications related to fatigue management systems.
• Keeping training and certification records current: Fleet managers must maintain records of driver training and certification related to fatigue management. This includes ensuring that drivers receive the necessary education and qualifications to manage fatigue effectively. It is also necessary to maintain records of staff training and assessment and demonstrate that new employees receive fatigue training as part of their induction process. A policy for identifying training needs and how these are addressed is also required.
• Maintaining a register of responsible personnel: A register of all persons with a designated responsibility under the accreditation must be kept and regularly updated. This means that businesses must maintain and update records of all staff who are involved in the management, operation, administration, participation and verification of the FMS.
• Implementing effective document control procedures: Businesses must have documented procedures for how documents are approved, issued, reviewed, modified, and accounted for. It can be challenging to ensure that all relevant personnel have access to the most current versions of policies and procedures.
• Ensuring records are legible, stored, and accessible: All records must be legible, stored, maintained, and available for management and audit purposes for at least three years. Maintaining a system to store and retrieve records over a long period can be difficult, particularly if relying on paper-based systems.
• Quarterly review of driver work and rest records: Driver work and rest records must be reviewed each quarter. This review process is important to verify that drivers are adhering to approved work and rest time limits, but may be time-consuming and difficult to manage without a robust system in place.
• Audit trail documentation: Businesses must maintain an audit trail of all records and documentation related to fatigue management, demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements and facilitating regulatory inspections. This requires a systematic approach to managing and storing records and making them available when required.
• Keeping up to date: Businesses need to stay current with the latest regulations. This means that the specific requirements and details of the NHVR fatigue management standards need to be checked with the NHVR’s official documentation, or directly with the NHVR.
• Managing the volume of documentation: The number of documents that need to be created and maintained is significant, and includes procedures, policies, training records, medical records, driver work diaries, and records of reviews. Managing the volume of documentation can be overwhelming for smaller businesses.

How Hubfleet Helps

Hubfleet offers a range of features that help operators meet the requirements of NHVR Standard 6, which focuses on record-keeping and documentation, while also allowing drivers to conduct pre-start inspections on vehicles and document faults and repairs. Here’s how Hubfleet assists with these requirements:

• Electronic work diaries (EWD): Hubfleet provides an EWD function, which allows drivers to record their driving hours and rest breaks digitally. This ensures accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements. The system also sends driver records to the management portal in real-time. This is an improvement on traditional paper logbooks, which can be labour intensive, error-prone, and do not provide real-time insights.
• Centralised record keeping: Hubfleet acts as a centralised repository for all records and documentation related to fatigue management. This includes driver work diaries, training records, and incident reports. This centralised system makes audits easier and ensures all necessary information is readily available for review. This system also allows for easy access and retrieval of records during regulatory inspections.
• Maintenance records: Hubfleet enables fleet managers to maintain detailed records of vehicle inspections, servicing, and maintenance activities. This ensures that all maintenance management activities that include repairs or modifications related to fatigue management systems are properly recorded.
• Training management: Hubfleet facilitates the management of driver training and certification records. This ensures that drivers receive the necessary education and qualifications to manage fatigue effectively. The platform also helps maintain records of staff training and assessment and can provide notifications of when training has expired or refresher courses are due.
• Pre-start inspections: Drivers can conduct pre-start vehicle checks using the Hubfleet app, and these records are instantly visible to the management team via the Hubfleet web-portal. This feature allows drivers to document any faults found during the inspection.
• Fault management and reporting: The system allows for recording and reporting of vehicle faults, as well as managing the process of moving faults through stages from ‘open’ to ‘closed’ or ‘rejected’. This ensures that faults are documented and managed systematically, with relevant information captured at each stage of the process.
• Fault repair documentation: Hubfleet helps manage the process of fault repair, including documentation of how faults occurring during a journey are reported to the maintenance provider, how the repair is actioned, and the final sign-off of the repair when completed.
• Document control: Hubfleet allows for the management of documentation, ensuring that all records are legible, stored, maintained, and available for management and audit purposes for at least three years. The system ensures that documents are approved, issued, reviewed, modified, and accounted for in line with the operator’s prescribed control procedures.
• Register of responsible personnel: A register of all persons with a designated responsibility under the accreditation is kept and regularly updated within the Hubfleet system.
• Quarterly review of driver records: The system facilitates the review of driver work and rest records each quarter, as required by the standard. The system monitors work and rest hours, and drivers are given flexibility to alter trip schedules within limits to maximise rest opportunities.
• Audit trail documentation: Hubfleet provides an audit trail of all records and documentation related to fatigue management, demonstrating compliance with regulatory requirements and facilitating regulatory inspections.
• Compliance monitoring: Hubfleet provides tools that allow for continuous monitoring of compliance and can alert fleet managers to potential issues or deviations from NHVAS standards.
• Reduced administrative burden: By digitising many of the record-keeping processes, Hubfleet reduces the administrative burden on businesses, making it easier to comply with Standard 6. The system automates tasks like generating quarterly compliance reports and managing driver work diaries.

Simplify Record-Keeping and Compliance

Meeting NHVR Standard 6 doesn’t have to be a paperwork nightmare. With Hubfleet’s digital record-keeping solutions, businesses can centralise documentation, automate compliance tracking, and reduce administrative burdens—all while ensuring that all NHVAS requirements are met.

From electronic work diaries (EWDs) and vehicle maintenance records to training certifications and audit trails, Hubfleet streamlines the entire documentation process, making compliance easier and more efficient. Sign up for a free trial or contact the Hubfleet team to learn how our platform can help you achieve effortless compliance and operational efficiency.