Moves towards delivering dangerous goods driver training remotely are underway following concerns that classroom training is putting candidates and training providers at risk of contracting Covid-19.
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) told motortransport.co.uk that although ADR drivers must currently attend training centres to take a test, a transition towards online examinations was now being looked at.
One training provider said he couldn’t understand why he had to put trainers and candidates at risk: “The authorities are happy to allow Driver CPC courses to take place online and we have trained over 2,000 candidates since lockdown began,” he said.
“In the past the practical first aid and firefighting exercises meant that ADR had to take place in the classroom, but SQA has stopped us from delivering that part of the course because of Covid.
“Now there is no practical part of the course, but SQA still won’t allow us to deliver the course online.”
He added: “There is no reason why candidates could not sit the course online and then attend a training centre just to take the exam at the end.”
However, an SQA spokesman said: “Whilst delivery of remote examinations for the Dangerous Goods Driver Training and Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser programmes is not currently available SQA, in partnership with the Department for Transport and the DVSA, has begun to look at options that would enable a transition to remote examinations whilst also securing the integrity of the scheme.”
