Four Pillars Bulletin No16
Dash Cams & Road Safety/Security – Should You Get One
Dash Cams & Road Safety/Security – Should You Get One
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
The Health, Safety and Environment Department has received a number of enquiries from Reps and Members considering fitting a dash cam to their own vehicles. Employers are currently testing and trialling dash cams also for the same reasons. Many employers report a growing trend of fraudulent crash claims against them and are looking at dash cams to help them. Police Forces have been using dash cams and body cams for some time. Motor Insurers are beginning to encourage clients to fit them with some companies giving policy holders a bonus or discounted price as an incentive. Advice from the Motor Insurer Industry and Motor Trade Press is summarised below for your information.
Daily congestion and traffic can make driving feel more like a battleground than an easy trip from A to B. As a result, drivers are starting to fit in-car video cameras, or dash cams, to their vehicles. There’s good reason to have one. It’s effectively like having a witness with you at all times. And if you’re in an accident, it can provide an impartial view of events to help assign blame and settle a car insurance claim. What’s more, the Insurance Fraud Bureau estimates there are annually 30,000 ‘Crash For Cash’ incidents where fraudsters deliberately cause crashes to claim off the innocent drivers’ insurance. A dash cam can help catch those crooks out.
Additionally there are all the times that you leave your car unattended? Whether you park up to go shopping or leave your car in one of those ridiculously small parking spaces, it’s impossible to have eyes on your vehicle 24/7. You’ll need a dash cam with a Parking Mode if this kind of surveillance is important to you. Be aware that some form of professional installation may be required.
Fitting a Dash Cam:
Most dash cams are very easy to fit: use the rubber suction cup supplied and stick it to your windscreen. You can then power it by plugging it into a suitable power point (USB, cigarette lighter, etc.).
As it’s using the car as a power source, the dash cam should start recording when you turn the ignition on, and stop when you turn it off. If you find the rubber suction cup keeps falling off, use a double-sided sticky pad to hold it on.
Using your Dash Cam:
Most dash cams have different sound and video quality options, so it’s a good idea to set the device to record the highest video quality possible. If your footage is needed, it’ll only be a few minutes, and tiny details that can be picked out due to high definition recording might prove invaluable.
Most dash cams record on a loop, recording over old footage when the internal storage or SD card fills up. If you’re in an accident, a dash cam can help settle a car insurance claim.
Some drivers choose not to record sound at all, but it can be very useful to have audio to go alongside video footage in the event of an accident or dispute.
If you are recording sound, or taking video inside the vehicle as well as outside, then it’s only polite to let any passengers know up front.
Are dash cams legal?
Yes. In the UK, dash cams are completely legal.
As long as your camera does not block your view of the road, then it is legal to have it installed in your car.
Recording members of the public (and their registration numbers) is legal too. In the UK there is no expectation of privacy while in public.
Dash Cam Reviews and Testing:
Which dash cams are worth buying? Clarity of footage is essential here. Testers looked for clear recordings in day and night-time driving, being able to pick out licence plates from parked cars, pedestrians on pavements and cyclists on the road as early as possible. Ease of use was another priority; a slick interface and simple playback methods scored points. Price from online sources was a final factor.
Direct Line Insurance Top five rated Cameras.
1 Nextbase InCarCam 512G
Critics can’t get enough of the 512G from Nextbase. It has been awarded a Which? Best Buy, and came up trumps in a comparison with others.
1 Cobra CDR 835
Drivers who don’t want to spend more than £100 on a dash cam will struggle to beat the CDR 835 from Cobra, according to The Sunday Times Driving, which calls it a ‘low cost winner’. The picture is awarded five out of five stars, but the lack of a GPS tracking function holds it back from an overall five star score.
1 Transcend DrivePro 220
With a package that includes a 16GB memory card and GPS tracking, plus camera-based nice- to-haves such as lane departure warning and forward collision alert, Transcend’s DrivePro 220 has earned positive reviews.
1 Garmin Dash Cam 55
Tech magazine T3 ranks the Garmin as its top pick. It’s compact, but packed full of features including GPS, lane departure/forward collision warning and speed camera alerts. Importantly, video footage is also crisp and clear in daylight, and holds up pretty well at night too.
1 BlackVue DR650S-2CH
Claiming to be one of the world’s most sophisticated dash cams, the BlackVue features forward and rear facing cameras. A Sony camera sensor is used to deliver clear video footage, day or night, and an intelligent parking mode captures any incident when the car is left unattended.
Auto Express Top Eight Dash Cams
1 Nextbase512GW
2 2. RoadEyesrecSMART
3 3. ThinkwareF800Pro
4 4. GarminDashCam55 5. RoadHawkVision
5 6. TranscendDrivePro230 7. ASUSRecoClassic
6 8. SilentWitnessSW237
We trust this information is helpful to Reps and Members.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
17LTB504 Dash Cams & Road SafetySecurity – Should You Get One
A message from DGSP Terry Pullinger urging members to use your vote
Royal Mail will this morning be asking members to hold onto their ballot paper for a few days until they receive more information from the company on pensions and other matters. This is a deliberate attempt to impact on our turnout.
We need to vote immediately. Let’s bring this home
Organ Donation Week 4-10 September – Thank You From NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant Service)
Organ Donation Week 4-10 September – Thank You From NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant Service)
To: All Branches
Dear Colleagues,
Further to LTBs 473/17 and 479/17, the attached message has been received from the NHSBT National Partnership Development Manager.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
The CWU is proud to again be supporting Gas Safety Week this year, 2017
The CWU is proud to again be supporting Gas Safety Week this year, 2017
Gas Safety Week is an annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances. It is coordinated by Gas Safe Register, the official list of gas engineers who are legally allowed to work on gas.
The week aims to raise awareness amongst householders and landlords, about the importance of having their gas appliances serviced on an annual basis. 5000 organisation across the UK signed-up last year pledging to work together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained Gas Appliances. Unsafe gas appliances can put lives at risk from gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide (CO2) poisoning.
With 22 deaths and nearly 1,000 gas-related injuries in the last three years, it’s vital that people make sure their gas appliances are safety checked every year, by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Anyone working on gas appliances while not being Gas Safe registered is working illegally.
Check your gas safe appliances every year
Gas appliances should be safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Check your engineer is Gas Safe registered
Agents, landlords and tenants can find and check an engineer at www.gassaferegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500
Check your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card
Make sure they are qualified for the work you need doing. You can find this information on the back of the card.
In supporting the 2017 Gas Safety Week, we are reminding Branches, Safety Reps and Members in a joint awareness campaign with RoSPA, HSE and the ‘Gas Safe Register’ to alert people of the importance of Gas Safety in the home. In the UK, 21 million households use gas for heating, hot water and cooking. There are approximately 7,500 unregistered gas fitters actively working in the UK today with 250,000 illegal gas jobs done every year by unregistered gas fitters.
Badly-fitted and poorly-serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, explosions, fires, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Dangerous gas work can kill and 22 people have died and 1000 have been injured in the last three years through Carbon Monoxide poisoning and other incidents. Carbon Monoxide symptoms can be mistaken for flu, food poisoning, viral infections and tiredness. A carbon monoxide alarm costs around £15 to £20 – every home should have CO Alarms and Smoke Alarms – but they are not a substitute for regular servicing.
The ‘Gas Safe Register’ is the government approved registration scheme for gas engineers in the UK, Isle of Man, and Guernsey. There are more than 120,000 Gas Safe Registered engineers. There are more than 60,000 Gas Safe Registered businesses. All gas appliances need regular servicing and a gas safety check every year (or in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions). All landlords and housing associations are legally obliged to ensure that all gas appliances and related pipes and flues within their rental properties are checked every 12 months for safety. They must issue a copy of the certificate to the tenant within 28 days of the test and give a copy to any new tenants moving in.
Not all gas engineers can work on all gas appliances. Gas Safe Registered engineers carry an ID card that shows the type of gas work they are legally registered and qualified to do e.g. cooker, boilers, gas fires etc.
Dangerous DIY – One in three people would fit a gas appliance themselves to save money. This is extremely risky and dangerous.
Website: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/reportillegal
‘Gas Safe Register’ also offers technical support for registered gas engineers. Call the technical helpline on 0800 408 5577, or visit the ‘Gas Safe Register’ Website
at: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk/engineers
‘Gas Safe Register’ replaced the ‘CORGI’ gas registration scheme as of April 9, 2009. Corgi ID cards are no longer valid. You can check card ID details instantly online. Only ‘Gas Safe Register’ registered engineers can work on gas and fit, fix and service boilers, gas fires and most types of gas cookers in your home – it’s the law. Keeping the public safe from dangerous gas work is ‘Gas Safe Register’s top priority. If someone other than a ‘Gas Safe Registered’ engineer carries out gas work in your home, you are risking the safety of both yourself and your family, other residents, visitors and your property.
Simple search and identity check
Finding a Gas Safe Registered engineer is easy. You can find an engineer in your area online at the ‘Gas Safe Register’ website: www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk – or by calling the free helpline: 0800 408 5500. Every engineer on the Gas Safe Register carries an ID card with their own unique licence number. The back of the ID card lists what gas appliances your engineer is qualified to work on. The message from Gas Safe Register is clear: Before you have any gas work done in your home, make sure you ask for the ID card and check the front and back.
Gas Safe Register’s top ten tips: GREAT ADVICE FOR GAS SAFETY WEEK 2017
If you suspect an illegal gas worker report it to Gas Safe Register:
Gas Safe Register PO BOX 6804 Basingstoke RG24 4NB
1 Have all your gas appliances, including boilers, gas cookers and gas fires, safety checked annually.
2 Always use a Gas Safe Registered engineer to fit, fix and check gas appliances in your home – it’s the law and will help keep you safe.
3 Always ask to see an engineer’s Gas Safe ID card and check the back of the card to ensure they are qualified to carry out the specific type of gas work you need.
4 To find a Gas Safe Registered engineer in your area, call the free helpline on 0800408 5500 or go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk.
5 Recognise the symptom so carbon monoxide poisoning-headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
6 Check gasa ppliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.
7 Buy an audible carbon monoxide alarm for your home and make sure it is located near to your gas appliances in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidance. Carbon monoxide can leak from appliances and kill.
8 Only use gas appliances for their intended purpose e.g. don’t use a gas oven to heat a room or use a gas barbeque inside the house.
9 Always ensure there is enough ventilation for your gas appliances to allow them to burn correctly and make sure you are not blocking any air vents that provide an air supply to the gas appliance.
10 Anybody working with gas has to be Gas Safe Registered by law. To report someone working without registration, call Gas Safe Register on the free phone number 0800 408 5500.
Did you know?
• Every year thousands of people across the UK are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. It is a highly poisonous gas. You can’t see it, taste it, or smell it, but it can kill quickly with no warning.
• Gas Safe Register found almost 5 million people across the UK are putting themselves at risk by employing illegal gas fitters who aren’t properly qualified. 65% of all gas jobs carried out by illegal fitters were unsafe, with 1 in 5 so dangerous they had to be disconnected immediately.
• 3 in 4 victims of illegal gas work hired the worker following a friend’s recommendation and 1 in 4 found them through an advert, wrongly assuming they were registered. In all cases the householder did not check the credentials of the worker before the work was carried out – you should always check the official Gas Safe Register.
• Although there is awareness that gas appliances need to be safety checked annually, 43% of Britons don’t do it, and 10% have gas appliances which have never been checked.
Further Information
Gas Safe Register 200 Cedarwood Chineham Park Crockford Lane Basingstoke Hampshire
RG24 8WD
Consumer enquiries
0800 408 5500 enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk
Engineer enquiries: 0800 408 5577 register@gassaferegister.co.uk
Further Information:
Gas Safe Register 200 Cedarwood Chineham Park Crockford Lane Basingstoke Hampshire
RG24 8WD
Consumer enquiries
0800 408 5500 enquiries@gassaferegister.co.uk
Engineer enquiries:
0800 408 5577 register@gassaferegister.co.uk
Yours Sincerely,
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 