Q. What am I supposed to do if a tester is away when the QC check is due?
A. The rules state that AEs must conduct regular Quality Control (QC) checks on their testers where two or more testers work at the same site. The QC check has to be carried out at least every two months on each tester and recorded on MOT Comp by the Quality Controller and acknowledged by the tester.
So what do you do if a tester is absent - For shorter absences, it is best to complete the QC check as soon as possible after the tester returns. But if you know that they’re going to be off, you could arrange to do the check before they leave.
However if the tester is going to be off work long-term, or it becomes clear that this will be the case, you may wish to temporarily remove that tester’s role for the site (see page 7 for details). This would remove the need for any QC checks until they return.
When they return to work, the tester’s role can be re-instated. As long as no more than six months have passed since their last test, the tester can start testing again immediately.
It is good practice for the AE to conduct a QC check as soon as the tester returns, to make sure that they are fully up to date with any changes that took place while they were away - like Special Notices, IM updates etc. Make a note of any advice or training given to the tester when they come back to work, and keep this on file for your next Site Assessment.
Read Section B6 of the MOT Testing Guide for more information on QC checks.
You can add or remove tester roles to sites using the VTS Device. Use F5 to bring up the VTS Device User Guide and read through Section B6 of the MOT testing Guide for further information on QC checks.
You can add or remove tester roles to sites using the VTS device. Use F5 to bring up the VTS User Guide and read through section 10J to learn how.
Send in your questions to mattersoftesting@dvsa.gsi.gov.uk