Posted By James Byatt David, Issue them with 2 keys. Leave one in the ignition with the engine running and lock the door with the other.... That's what I do when I need to leave my vehicle on the hard shoulder of the motorway with the amber beacons on and wander off into the undergrowth. Otherwise the battery goes flat! Cheers, James

Posted By Emma Forbes We recently had this issue raised and it was decided that it was up to the discretion of the driver to assist his loaders or not. The packing mechanism won't work without the engine running so the driver has to assess whether it is safe to leave the RCV unattended and assist. Obviously in a built up area where the increased risk of some idiot jumping in and pinching it or in icy weather where the handbrake may not be sufficient enough to hold the vehicle, we leave it up to the driver to decide, or report back to his line manager for advice.

Posted By David Hurst Thanks for the responses. They are all valid comments. With regard to the driver staying behind the wheel of the vehicle, the Authority is looking to introduce mini Refuse Colection Vehicles which, may, only operate with one man who would become a driver / loader. This already happens with the re-cycling collections and it is this area which is of particular concern. 2 sets of keys would afford the driver some control over the securing of the cab. I haven't explored the idea fully, but there may be a way of using remote central locking, which would facilitate the locking / unlocking of the cabs. I'm to trying to as obtain as many experiences / ideas from fellow professionals who have also come accross this issue,so if you've got any more ideas or thoughts they would be most welcome.