How to ensure you are complying with your safety obligations
Every person under the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) has a role to play in maintaining safety and compliance. How can you ensure that you are complying with your safety obligations?
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has outlined steps to make sure you are compliant.
Step 1: Know and understand what your transport activities are under the CoR. If you’re unsure of what activities you are responsible for, visit https://www.nhvr.gov.au/safety-accreditation-compliance/chain-of-responsibility
Step 2: Identify the risks of your activities, starting with the main risks identified in the HVNL:
- fatigue,
- speeding,
- excessive mass or dimension,
- poorly restrained loads and
- unsafe vehicles.
Step Three: Assess the risks.
Step Four: Find ways to manage the risks:
- comply with specific rules in the HVNL and its regulations,
- identify which transport activities you can influence and control, and which ones you can’t,
- read your codes of practice for recommended control measures and
- decide what safety procedures are reasonably practicable for your business to introduce, considering the risks involved, the available safety measures and their suitability and cost.
Step Five: Implement appropriate control measures, such as:
- training or recruitment,
- procedures,
- forms and documentation,
- equipment,
- technology,
- information collection and monitoring,
- modifications to premises or vehicles,
- auditing or inspection,
- agreements or amended agreements and
- subscribing to safety bulletins, education and training updates.
Step Six: Monitor the effectiveness of the controls and update them when needed.
The NHVR has produced a range of resources to help you complete these steps. You can find these here.
