The NHVR is set to launch its latest operation that will target heavy vehicle safety and compliance in the construction industry.
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The initiative will commence in late February and will run across four weeks across all states and territories bar Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The newest operation launched by the NHVR will be an on-road targeted operation, focusing on mechanical safety and compliance with mass, dimension, and loading requirements of heavy vehicles operating in support of the construction sector. According to NHVR Chief Operations Officer, Paul Salvati, managing risks in helped to prevent fatalities and injuries, avoid financial loss, evade legal sanction, and enhance a safety-first culture.
“Throughout the operation, we will prioritise education in the first instance to ensure operators and drivers have a clear understanding of the risks associated with non-compliance during heavy vehicle transport activities in the construction industry, and know how to manage them,” Salvati said.
“Drivers and operators should always be practicing safe behaviours, such as implementing a daily check list to ensure the mechanical safety of vehicles, or utilising measuring devices, such as tape measures or height sticks, to confirm the vehicle and its load are within allowable dimensions.”
News of the NHVR’s latest operation comes after the national body provided insights into last year’s equivalent operation. Running from March 1, 2023, through to April 15, 2023, out of 1200 vehicles inspected, 56.4 per cent of heavy construction vehicles were compliant across all HVNL categories – particularly across mass and loading. The most problematic area was mechanical compliance, with the most serious faults discovered in brakes, body and chassis, with Salvati urging all operators and drivers to keep safety front of mind.
“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,” he said. “These may seem like standard risks, but they are amplified – especially on a construction site – by time pressures, constant loading and unloading, and the frequency of travel alongside other motorists on major roads and thoroughfares.”
Regulatory Advice for managing the risks of heavy vehicle transport activities in the construction industry can be found on the NHVR website.
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