Farmers and manufacturers are among those who are being urged to make sure they know how new laws will affect them ahead of a transport industry overhaul that will make more people liable for safety breaches.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
National heavy vehicle laws will change from October and will cover many who may not consider themselves part of the transport “chain of responsibility”, Mass Management compliance consultant Greg Hough.
Farmers and others loading goods onto trucks, companies taking delivery of goods and those who use third parties to transport material would be among people who would have an increased legal duty to ensure safety.
They will need to make sure they have systems and processes in place to manage compliance, Mr Hough said.
He warned those who did not prepare could risk getting caught out if there is an accident, roadside intercept or tip off.
The changes are welcome news to Allstone Quarries operations director Wes Bird, who said those transporting goods are not always at fault when things go wrong, despite the focus of current laws.
“An example of this would be when we go to deliver a load of gravel to a site and the customer has not bothered to provide a safe place for us to unload, or requests us to dump the load on the roadside,” he said.
“Under these new provisions, that customer could be prosecuted for not complying.”
Mr Bird said the industry was much better than it was even 10 or 15 years ago, when people “pretty much did their own thing” and there was no real chain of responsibility.
“Now, everyone has some understanding of a chain of responsibility, just not to the extent that the next wave of regulations go,” he said.
Mr Bird said his company demanded strong compliance from drivers, and went to “considerable effort” to make sure they stayed up to standard.
Even so, he was unsure exactly what the changes would mean.
Mr Hough said that uncertainty was currently all too common.
“We don’t want people or businesses to panic,” he said.
“However they must find out how this may impact them ... and ensure that they are properly prepared and supported for the introduction of these new requirements.”
Mass Management is running a series of workshops throughout the state in the coming month-and-a-half, including in Bendigo late next month.
Mr Hough said those seeking information on the seminars or reforms could contact Mass Management on 03 5444 4144 or visit Facebook to book a session.