Vehicle Safety Hold Restriction and Authorised Release Procedure
Procedure for deciding whether a vehicle is safe to use, restricted, grounded or awaiting assessment.
Who it's for
Suits: All operators running vehicles
What it proves at audit
Heavy Vehicle Accreditation criteria this document produces evidence for. Check your readiness.
Why operators use it
We use VEH-06 to make a safe, traceable decision when a vehicle may not be fit for work, so no one has to negotiate safety under freight, customer, cost or downtime pressure.
Most vehicle systems identify a defect but do not always force a clear decision about what happens next. VEH-06 creates that decision point. It separates a vehicle awaiting assessment, a vehicle that must not be used, a vehicle operating only under an actual authorised restriction, and a vehicle released after the relevant conditions have been addressed. This prevents a concern being relabelled as “minor” simply because the vehicle or freight is needed.
From the companion guide that comes with this document.
Related documents
Daily prestart checklist with clear steps for escalating defects.
Defect report that links each fault to a safe release decision.
Fleet maintenance register tracking services, due dates and evidence for each vehicle.
Record of technical service and inspection work against the manufacturer or inspection standard.
Register of vehicle, emergency and load restraint equipment and PPE stock, with inspections.