Rank: New forum user 
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Hi
I've just started with a new company and they have a fleet of around 50+ vans.
To my surprise they do not supply screen wash. When I quiried this I was informed just use water.
I've never liked just using water for a number of reasons the main one being with winter approaching, the system freezes and you then have no way of cleaning the windscreen.
I know it's an offense to not have fluid in the washer but I don't beleive there is any legal requirment for it to have a soap aditive.
What I am trying to find out, is there any legal duty to companies that force them to provide screen wash. I'm going to go down the benifits of it, when I get a chance to meet with the management but I wouldn't mind having that ace up my sleeve if they still say no.
Thanks
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Are these company supplied vans?
If so then there are duties under PUWER to operate the equipment in accordance with manufacturers written instruction - I don't recall ever reading a handbook that said "top up the water tank" in its list of maintenance tasks. Have you had the delights of a new day/shift check-list? Most companies to remind drivers of their responsibilities to be legal on the road use some form of check list of items the driver must consider before setting off - again never seen one that says check and top the water tank, it is nearly always screenwash bottle. Unfortunately you may be working for the kind of firm that is very keen on its fleet maintenanace costs cutting everything practicable. Most fleets I have seen typically have a large barrel of Ad-Blue (diesel additive) and a 25 Litre concentrated screenwash at site for vehicle maintenance. Benefits as you point out are clear vision whilst driving and a wash system that does not freeze up meaning the vehicle can be out and about that bit quicker. Problems with only using water are not limited to awaiting the tank, lines and jets to defrost but can also include degradation of the system (like anti-freeze in coolant the components are not designed for solely water) and component failure e.g. a plastic pump becoming cracked by the ice. Often pumps can be hidden within the engine compartment making it a major maintenance task to change.
One Citroen vehicle comes to mind where the pump was a £10 component but the van spent half a day off the road whilst the mechanic gained access to change it.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Are these company supplied vans?
If so then there are duties under PUWER to operate the equipment in accordance with manufacturers written instruction - I don't recall ever reading a handbook that said "top up the water tank" in its list of maintenance tasks. Have you had the delights of a new day/shift check-list? Most companies to remind drivers of their responsibilities to be legal on the road use some form of check list of items the driver must consider before setting off - again never seen one that says check and top the water tank, it is nearly always screenwash bottle. Unfortunately you may be working for the kind of firm that is very keen on its fleet maintenanace costs cutting everything practicable. Most fleets I have seen typically have a large barrel of Ad-Blue (diesel additive) and a 25 Litre concentrated screenwash at site for vehicle maintenance. Benefits as you point out are clear vision whilst driving and a wash system that does not freeze up meaning the vehicle can be out and about that bit quicker. Problems with only using water are not limited to awaiting the tank, lines and jets to defrost but can also include degradation of the system (like anti-freeze in coolant the components are not designed for solely water) and component failure e.g. a plastic pump becoming cracked by the ice. Often pumps can be hidden within the engine compartment making it a major maintenance task to change.
One Citroen vehicle comes to mind where the pump was a £10 component but the van spent half a day off the road whilst the mechanic gained access to change it.
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Rank: New forum user
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Thanks Roundtuit I didn't think about going down that route.
To be honest I don't think, they.re a bad company I just think they have a very enexperianced transport manager who wants a bit of easy life.
Now I've come on board with my haulage background hopefully I can get a few things changed.
I also feel compaines do not release the cost saving by buying in bulk so think screen wash cost a lot more than it does.
Thanks for your help.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Hi Guppy Assuming that you are in the UK, may be time for your inexperienced Transport Manager to revise the Highway Code! https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/annex-6-vehicle-maintenance-safety-and-security
Before winter. Ensure that the battery is well maintained and that there are appropriate anti-freeze agents in your radiator and windscreen bottle. Elsewhere the Code says that you MUST keep your windscreen clean. So the first fleet driver who is stopped by the Police for not following this requirement as they are trying to comply just with water is going to very annoyed when they get a fixed penalty or worse.
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Rank: Super forum user
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One of the major reasons for screen washer fluid is that plain water will not remove the 'traffic film' that builds up on the windscreen. If this is allowed to build you may find that one day when suddenely encountering a heavy rain shower the screen wipers just blur everything. The highway code says that the screen must be kept clean, so any incident due to the sudden loss of vision could have serious consequences for the driver, but also for the employer and possibly for the transport manager who refused to supply the washer fluid.
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Rank: Forum user
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 2 users thanked Accidentia for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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2 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Originally Posted by: Accidentia 
That's one soruce I have never considered, thanks for sharing.
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Rank: Super forum user
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As a guess, it may be that historically screenash like the screen de-icer gets 'borrowed' by everyone for their oen vehicles, so the cost ratio per company vehicle is way off the mark. I like a hgh ratio of screenwash to water so I use way more than others but realistically does anyone really measure the mixtures!
IMHO it would be a hard sell to say their is a legal reason to supply the screenwash. There are lots of benefits but not sure legal ones. If they are costs saving those arguments will just flop and fail.
The persuader is to offer up some costings from your LGV days, so the cost of an IBC of screenwash may be too much for your fleet, but certainly look at a high volume purchase. Then suggest a usage rate per vehicle to come up with an overall cost.
At the moment you are think screenwash and they are thinking money. Twist it around so you quote money and they may like screenwash!
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1 user thanked Acorns for this useful post.
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