BUS AND HEAVY VEHICLE SAFETY came under the spotlight at the recent MegaTrans 2018 event held May 10-12 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) launching a series of tools to help operators boost the safety performance of their business.
MEGATRANS is touted as a, “truly international expo and plenary” and a, “key connection piece within the Australian and international supply chain, bringing together those who plan, implement and control the efficient, effective forward flow and storage of goods, services and related information from product inception to the end user.”
Exhibitors came from a raft of fields, such as road transport, sea, rail, air, warehousing, infrastructure, materials and handling, and safety.
Victorian Roads and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan stated at the launch that the NHVR’s Safety Management System guidance material and tools would drive a positive safety culture across the heavy vehicle industry and provide a similar systems-based approach used successfully in maritime, rail, aviation and other industries.
“There were 211 fatalities nationally involving a heavy vehicle or a bus last year, including 44 in Victoria, so heavy vehicle safety is a priority for all Australians,” Minister Donnellan said.
“I’d encourage the heavy vehicle industry to look at the free Safety Management System guidance materials and tools available and how they can be used to help meet safety obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
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“Adopting and actively using these will reduce safety-related incidents.
“The tools are free for all businesses in the heavy vehicle supply chain and provide a systematic, comprehensive and proactive process to manage operational safety risks.”
The resources include 10 guides and templates, fact sheets and an information book. Further guidance material will be released later this year.
NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the tools were essential components of a Safety Management System, including safety policy and documentation and most importantly safety risk management.
“A Safety Management System is also an effective way for an organisation to comply with the additional responsibilities under Chain of Responsibility laws in the coming months,” he said.
“Templates can be downloaded from the NHVR’s website to assist businesses to develop their own safety policy, risk management or incident reporting processes, as well as other essential activities.
“We know that heavy vehicle businesses are very diverse so one-size doesn’t fit all. The tools we are launching today and in the future are scalable and can be adapted to any size business.
“Simple low costs steps like appropriate safety training for employees – regardless of their role in the business – makes them part of a business’s safety goals and objectives.”
For more information on the NHVR’s Safety Management Systems visit www.nhvr.gov.au/sms