Development of an industry master code of practice for heavy vehicle safety is progressing well, according to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), with the project receiving $200,000 government funding assistance under the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative program.
NHVR CEO, Sal Petroccitto, has said the industry-wide master code will provide consistent and risk-based approaches to improving safety and compliance with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
“Led by the [Australian Logistics Council] ALC and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), the master code will help adopters to identify, assess and mitigate risks to meet their obligations under the national law and improve safety,” said Mr. Petroccitto.
“I encourage industry to be involved in the consultation workshops being conducted by ALC and ATA to develop this code which will deliver significant heavy vehicle safety benefits,” he said.
ALC and ATA have reportedly established a company called Safe Trucking and Supply Chains Limited to develop the code of practice.
Safe Trucking and Supply Chains Chairman, John West, has welcomed the support of the NHVR for the project.
“This is a huge opportunity for all operators in the supply chain to be able to benefit from this industry master code being produced and ultimately placed on the web for all to use,” said Mr. West. “The cooperation of the NHVR and the Commonwealth Government in supporting ALC and the ATA to facilitate this will benefit many in the supply chain well into the future.”
The Master Code will address the management of speed, fatigue, mass, dimension and loading and vehicle standards under the HVNL, particularly as it relates to the new primary duty as part of Chain of Responsibility (CoR) amendments due to commence in mid-2018. According to the NHVR, it will especially assist small trucking companies with fewer than 20 employees, which comprise a significant proportion of trucking businesses, to build compliance systems that assist them in managing the safety requirements of the new primary duties.
A Registered Industry Code of Practice will outline guidance, procedures and best practice principles for parties in the CoR to implement safety standards. By adopting these codes, businesses can reduce risk of non-compliance with the HVNL and improve safety.