UKPIA has stressed that its members give high priority to safety issues within the industry, following criticism by the Unite union following a ballot in which tanker drivers voted for strike action.

As well as its own active committees, UKPIA said it promotes the work of and participates in a number of industry and cross-sector groups established to improve safety and share best practice.

In this context, the general requirements of UKPIA members these are as follows:

Drivers working on behalf of UKPIA members receive thorough training and induction before being allowed to undertake deliveries unsupervised. UKPIA member company drivers (either employed by the oil company itself, or haulage contractor drivers employed to deliver fuel on behalf of an oil company) delivering to company owned or independent branded filling stations undergo two weeks of induction and training in all aspects of safe loading and unloading, systems and procedures to demonstrate competency before being allowed to operate unsupervised; and all drivers are subject to annual refresher training regime.

It added that third–party drivers loading at UKPIA member terminals receive specific induction training and have to demonstrate competency before receiving a permit to load. Third-party drivers loading at UKPIA member terminals are given a thorough terminal induction by the Terminal Supervisor or his staff; are required to submit ADR (carriage of dangerous goods by road) and licence details, together with vehicle and tank Safe Loading Pass details; and before being issued with a permit to load, each driver is required to demonstrate competency. The permit to load is valid for one year after which time, a driver will be re-inducted.