Maintaining your Driver CPC

Our trainers all experienced commercial vehicle drivers which add to the delivery of the material, and they can identify with the every day issues that driver face in the course of the many types of work undertaken. Free ample and secure parking is available at the centre.

• To maintain your truck CPC, you must complete modules 1-5
• To maintain your bus CPC, you must complete modules 1-4 and module 6
• To maintain your bus and truck CPC you must complete modules 1-6.
  
  
  Professional drivers are required to complete one day of CPC periodic training every year in order to maintain their CPC qualification on an ongoing basis. This is classroom-based training covering a minimum of seven hours every year.

  
  
  

Module 1

Control of the vehicle and eco-driving techniques: This module deals with characteristics of the transmission system, effective use of safety controls on buses and trucks and optimisation of fuel consumption.

Module 2

Minimising risks and managing emergencies in the transport industry: This module covers the risks on the road for drivers of trucks and buses and the ability to assess emergency situations.

Module 3

Health and safety for the professional driver: This module deals with awareness of the importance of physical and mental ability and the prevention of physical risks.

Module 4

Role of the professional driver in the transport industry: This module addresses the social environment of road transport and the rules governing it.

Module 5

The professional truck driver: This module covers the areas of loading, preventing criminality, enhancing the image of the industry, carriage regulations and knowing the economic environment of road haulage.

Module 6

The professional bus driver: This module deals with the topics of forces affecting vehicles in motion, vehicle overhang, gearbox ratios, defensive driving, dealing with vulnerable road users and vehicle stability.
You can check which modules you need to do by visiting the Driver Portal on the RSA’s website by following the link https://cpc.rsa.ie/live/CPCDriverportal You will need to have your driver number ready to register on the portal if you have not done so already. It is important that you do not complete the same module twice in your current 5 year cycle.

ADR

There are four ADR courses.
Drivers of vehicles carrying dangerous goods must hold a training certificate issued by the competent authority. In Ireland, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is the competent authority
appointed by Health and Safety Authority with respect to driver training and certification for dangerous goods Classes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9.
For drivers of vehicles carrying Class 1 dangerous goods (explosive substances and articles), the competent authority in Ireland is the Minister for Justice and Equality (www.gov.ie) and for Class 7 dangerous goods
(radioactive material), the competent authority is the Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.ie).

There are some exemptions regarding driver training but in general, all tank vehicle activity requires a driver certified for carriage in tanks and for the dangerous goods being carried. For packaged dangerous goods, there are thresholds under which a certified driver may not be necessary. For guidance on the various exemptions that may be available to you, see section 6 in our guide on the carriage of dangerous goods by road. You may also need to seek advice from a dangerous goods safety adviser (DGSA) to establish whether formal certification is required for your business.

Training and Examinations

Before obtaining a driver training certificate, drivers must first complete a training course by an approved training provider. A list of approved training providers is available from CILT at www.cilt.ie. The purpose of the
training is to provide drivers with basic information to allow them to take necessary measures to minimise the effects of an incident involving dangerous goods. Driver training comprises Basic training and Specialised training.

Basic Training

Basic training encompasses core information relevant for all drivers carrying dangerous goods. It is required for drivers of small vans, box vans, curtain siders and freight containers carrying dangerous goods such as gas
cylinders, industrial chemical products, certain retail chemicals, hazardous waste including clinical waste, flammable paints and batteries carried in packages such as boxes, jerricans, drums and intermediate bulk
containers (IBCs).

Specialised Training

Specialised training is required for drivers of tank vehicles such as rigid road tankers, tractor units hauling trailers with portable tanks or tank containers carrying dangerous goods. Drivers that wish to drive such
vehicles must also complete Basic training as well as the Specialised ‘Tanks’ training.

Class 3 Basic and Specialised Training

Basic training and Specialised training may also be restricted to some Class 3 dangerous goods (fuels) which is a separate course. Drivers that complete this training and pass the corresponding examinations are restricted
to driving tank vehicles carrying fuels such as diesel or gas oil (UN 1202), petrol (UN 1203), kerosene (UN 1223), petroleum distillates (UN 1268), aviation fuel (UN 1863) or ethanol mixtures (UN 3475). They cannot drive
vehicles carrying other dangerous goods if they have only completed the Class 3 training and passed the corresponding examinations.

Refresher Training

Driver training certificates are valid for 5 years and therefore drivers who wish to continue driving dangerous goods vehicles must refresh their training and re-sit the appropriate examination(s). Refresher training and
examination(s) should be completed in the year prior to expiry of the current certificate. The renewed certificate will be extended by 5 years from the expiry date of the old certificate.

Duration of training courses

Training Courses Initial course duration (days) Refresher course duration (days)
Basic 3 1 to 1.5
Specialisation Tanker 2 1
Basic Class 3 2 1
Specialisation Tanker Class 3 1 0.5

When drivers have completed their training, they must then pass an examination(s) on the particular requirements that apply to the transport of dangerous goods before being issued with a certificate.
Details on exam fees, dates, exam centre locations, the application process, the format of exams and related information is available from CILT at www.cilt.ie.

Examples of course durations and examinations for initial courses:
Driving Work Activity Training Course Total Training (days) Exams (hours) (multiple choice)
Packaged dangerous goods Basic 3 1
Road tankers/tank containers Basic and Tanks 5 2
Road tankers class 3 (fuels) Basic Class 3 and Tanks Class 3 3 2
Certification

For the dangerous goods classes that come under the remit of the Health and Safety Authority, a driver that completes Basic training and passes the corresponding examination will be issued with a certificate to show that they can carry packaged dangerous goods from the following classes:

• • Class 2 (gases)
  • Class 3 (flammable liquids)
  • Class 4 (flammable solids)
  • Class 5 (oxidising substances)
  • Class 6 (toxic or infectious substances)
  • Class 8 (corrosives)
  • Class 9 (miscellaneous substances such as, lithium batteries, asbestos and environmentally hazardous substances).

A driver that completes Specialised tanker training can also drive the same dangerous goods classes in tank vehicles. For Class 3 Basic and Specialised training, a driver that has completed Basic training and Specialised training, and passed the corresponding examinations is allowed to carry the following UN numbers in tank vehicles:

• Diesel or gas oil (UN 1202)
• Petrol (UN 1203)
• Kerosene (UN 1223)
• Petroleum distillates (UN 1268)
• Aviation fuel (UN 1863)
• Ethanol mixtures (UN 3475).

The layout of the driver training certificate is set out in ADR and a sample of the certificate that is issued in Ireland is available on the UNECE website (see ADR Certificates).