steve07:
hi all my step father has a huge problem, what happened is vosa went into the traffic office where he works found three off his tachos two where he’d opened it to check his driving which they are saying is illegal the last is where the last trace before the centre is has double traced whith out a break in the trace? what they have done now is suspended him from work while an investigation is carried out but they are trying to say he’s wound the clock back but there’s no break in the trace can anyone tell me how it could have happened?? We think they are tryin to get rid off him…
Are you sure you are giving us the full and correct story? Its not illegal to open your tacho head for a peek at what you’ve done. As for over running a trace, the one nearest the centre is the activity trace, as far as i understand the only permitted over running of the trace is if its over run on break. What makes you think they are trying to get rid of him? And how do you know VOSA came in? Did they contact your father or did the company just say they’d been in?
Mike-C:
And how do you know VOSA came in? Did they contact your father or did the company just say they’d been in?
A relevant point. I smell bovine excreta. (It must be the wife’s cooking. )
Whilst opening the head has been discussed on here many times before, going back to EC 3821/85, Article 15(2) states,
Drivers shall use the record sheets every day on which they are driving, starting from the moment they take over the vehicle. The record sheet shall not be withdrawn before the end of the daily working period unless its withdrawal is otherwise authorized. No record sheet may be used to cover a period longer than that for which it is intended. When, as a result of being away from the vehicle, a driver is unable to use the equipment fitted to the vehicle, the periods of time indicated in paragraph 3, second indent (b), (c) and (d) below shall be entered on the sheet, either manually, by automatic recording or other means, legibly and without dirtying the sheet.
Opening the head is not the same as ‘withdrawn’ Withdrawn (in this sense) means ‘taken out’ (of use). Otherwise why did the Type Approval Regs for 3821/85 (and before) specify that the trace(s) should be visible without removing the chart from the device.
Indeed, the latter section of 15(2) virtually demands that the chart be removed in order that manual entries be made (on the reverse). Otherwise you’d need to be a contortionist (or a keyhole surgeon) to abide by the requirement.
The bottom line is, firms are looking to ‘downsize’. And Redundancy payments cost money.
thank you all for your help and replies, he requested the copies last week and he hasn’t recieved them yet. The company said that vosa had found them. The reason we think they want rid is they have promised him a new motor due in the two weeks but an old driver wants to come back but only if he gets a brand new motor. The companie in metion and the driver are from the north east and they prefer each other if you get my meaning.
The one thing that he hasn’t checked was the servicing/checking date tag on the tacho head cos i know the company aren’t quite up on that bit.
(It must be the wife’s cooking. 
)