Vehicle Safety Inspections (IV.A.7)

Volume IV: Facilities and Safety
Chapter A: Safety
Responsible Executive: Senior Vice President for Business Services and Assistant Treasurer
Responsible Office: Transportation Services
Date Issued: April 1, 2013
Date Last Revised: N/A

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Statement of Policy
Reason for This Policy
Individuals and Entities Affected by This Policy
Who Should Know This Policy
Exclusions
Website Address for This Policy
Contacts
Definitions
Responsibilities
Procedures
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
History and Updates
Appendix

STATEMENT OF POLICY

All University Vehicles must undergo and pass a vehicle safety inspection upon acquisition and Annual Safety Inspections thereafter for continued operation. 

REASON FOR THIS POLICY

The University’s primary concern is to maintain all University Vehicles in safe operating condition. Doing so promotes the safety of vehicle operators and the general public and reduces the risk of a University Vehicle causing or contributing to an accident or increasing the severity of an accident due to the condition of the vehicle.

INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

This policy covers all colleges, schools, departments, centers, units and recognized student organizations of Purdue University that own and operate University Vehicles.

WHO SHOULD KNOW THIS POLICY

Trustees
President
Vice Presidents
Chancellors
Vice Chancellors
Vice Provosts
Deans/Directors
Department Heads/Chairs
Faculty
All staff responsible for University Vehicles

EXCLUSIONS

There are no exclusions to this policy.

WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THIS POLICY

www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva7.html

CONTACTS

DEFINITIONS

Annual Safety Inspection
A procedure in which a vehicle is examined to ensure it conforms to convention governing safety. Annual Safety Inspection includes systems, subsystems and components having substantial relation to safe vehicle performance. The inspection procedures equal or exceed criteria issued or endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Purdue, University and Purdue University
Any campus, unit, program, association or entity of Purdue University, including but not limited to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Purdue University Calumet, Purdue University North Central, Purdue University West Lafayette, Purdue Extension and Purdue University College of Technology Statewide.

Qualified Service and Repair Shop
A facility whose employees are qualified in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations (specifically Title 49 CFR Part 396) to perform periodic inspections of motor vehicles.

Qualified Service and Repair Staff
Employees of the University who understand the inspection criteria set forth in the Purdue University Vehicle Safety Inspection Form (PDF) and can identify defective components. These employees are knowledgeable of and have mastered the methods, procedures, tools and equipment used when performing an inspection and are capable of performing an inspection by reason of experience, training or both as follows:

• Successfully completed a state or federal sponsored training program or have a certificate from a state which qualifies them to perform commercial motor vehicle safety inspections, or
• Have a combination of training and/or experience totaling at least two years consisting of experience as a mechanic or inspector in a motor carrier maintenance program or experience as a mechanic or inspector in truck maintenance at a commercial garage, fleet leasing company or similar facility. (Source:  U.S. Department of Transportation Regulations)

University Vehicle
Any vehicle owned or leased by Purdue University that is licensed for use on public roadways. For purposes of this policy, trailers and other mobile equipment that are licensed for public roadways are included.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Senior Vice President for Business Services and Regional Campus Vice Chancellors

• Ensure policy compliance.

Risk Management

• Oversee the University’s vehicle safety program.

Designated Offices

• Maintain campus inspection program guidelines. 
• Keep record of all Annual Safety Inspections for their campuses/locations according to data retention guidelines.

Qualified Service and Repair Staff

• Perform inspection upon purchase of a University Vehicle and Annual Safety Inspections thereafter.

Deans, Directors and Department Heads/Chairs

• Designate staff responsible for University Vehicles licensed to the departments. 
• Ensure compliance with periodic and Annual Safety Inspections.  
• Prevent the operation of unsafe University Vehicles.

Staff Responsible for University Vehicles

• Schedule University Vehicle Annual Safety Inspections and initiate a request for the repair of any unsafe systems, subsystems or components having substantial relation to safe vehicle performance. 

Drivers

• Inspect University Vehicles prior to use for obvious safety concerns, report defects to the appropriate authority and do not drive any University Vehicle with deficiencies that make it unsafe to operate (refer to the policy on Use of Vehicles for University Business (IV.A.1)).

PROCEDURES

The designated offices listed below will keep records of Annual Safety Inspections on all their respective University Vehicles and notify departments at least 45 days in advance of the inspection expiration dates. It is each department’s responsibility to schedule Annual Safety Inspections.

Designated Offices:

• Calumet: Facilities Services
• Fort Wayne: IPFW Grounds, Superintendent of Grounds
• North Central: Physical Facilities
• West Lafayette and any other non-regional campus locations: Transportation Services

Initial purchase inspections, Annual Safety Inspections and associated repairs of University Vehicles will be completed by Qualified Service and Repair Staff. In the event there are no Qualified Service and Repair Staffs available on the campus or circumstances prevent the department from utilizing the staff, the department may request instructions and a standard vehicle inspection checklist for the purpose of obtaining the inspection and/or repairs from a Qualified Service and Repair Shop.

University Vehicles determined to be in unsafe operating condition may not be driven until repaired. The cost of repairs will be charged to the department operating the University Vehicle. University Vehicles not passing Annual Safety Inspections for reasons that do not pose an immediate danger to the driver or other persons on the public roads or streets will be given a 30-day extension if repairs cannot be made at the time of inspection.

If a University Vehicle is 30 days overdue for the Annual Safety Inspection, the designated office listed above will contact the appropriate director, department head or dean to remedy the oversight. If the vehicle still has not passed the Annual Safety Inspection after 90 days, it will be deemed unsafe and may not be driven.

Refer to the policy on Assignment of Authority and Responsibility for the Retention and Disposal of University Records (V.B.3) for retention requirements and time frames.

RELATED DOCUMENTS, FORMS AND TOOLS

Purdue University Vehicle Safety Inspection Form

Record retention information: www.purdue.edu/business/records/Records_Retention/index.html

Policies:

• Assignment of Authority and Responsibility for the Retention and Disposal of University Records (V.B.3): www.purdue.edu/policies/governance/vb3.html
• Use of Vehicles for University Business (IV.A.1): www.purdue.edu/policies/facilities-safety/iva1.html

HISTORY AND UPDATES

April 1, 2013: This policy supersedes Business Office Memorandum No. 169, University Vehicle Inspections.

Until March 1980, Indiana State law required that University-owned Vehicles be inspected annually. The inspection was done to assure a high degree of safety in operating vehicles. When the state law was revoked, the University issued Vice President for Business Services and Assistant Treasurer Memorandum (Business Office Memorandum) No. 169, University Vehicle Inspections, dated February 6, 1981.

APPENDIX

There are no appendices to this policy.