Heavy vehicles in construction the focus of a new safety operation by the NHVR

The following is an abridgement of an article originally published by the NHVR.

The operation

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is launching a 4-week on-road operation to target mechanical safety and compliance with mass, dimension, and heavy vehicle loading requirements across the states of NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, ACT, and TAS. The priority of the initiative is to educate operators and drivers, ensuring they are aware of the risks attending non-compliance to guidelines and appreciate the importance of daily vehicle checks and proper load dimension measurements.

The Goal

The NHVR hopes to help prevent injuries and fatalities, as well as steer businesses out of the path of financial losses, legal consequences, and reputation damage. A similar operation in the first half of 2023, where over 1200 vehicles were inspected, revealed only 56% compliance in all Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) categories, with compliance across mass and loading scoring the highest, and mechanical compliance the lowest.

Remarks

NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati noted that the previous campaign found the most serious issues to be defects in brakes, body, and chassis, and cautioned that

“Heavy vehicle hazards in the construction industry traditionally include loads not being properly restrained, vehicles exceeding mass or dimension limits and of course, the mechanical safety of vehicles, especially heavy rigid truck, and trailer combinations."