Diesel still safe confirms HAE

The Hire Association Europe (HAE) has moved to reassure those involved in the transport of diesel that proposed legislation re-classifying it as a 'dangerous substance' will not come into effect until the middle of next year at the earliest.

This follows several incidents in which the police have been applying the new legislation already following guidance which did not make it clear that it was not yet in force.

However, HAE managing director John Coyne said this misinterpretation should have now been rectified: "If you're stopped by the police and they tell you that diesel is now treated as a 'dangerous substance', you should respectfully point out that this is not yet the case. If they're still not convinced then you should bring it to our attention."

Coyne added that this confusion demonstrated the difficulties that would be faced by companies - such as plant and tool hirers - who moved diesel regularly once the re-classification had come into effect. "At the very least this should be treated in the same way as the introduction of ROPS/FOPS, with three or preferably five years leeway in the introduction," he said.