A major NSW contractor has spent almost $140,000 on safety initiatives as part of an Enforceable Undertaking (EU) accepted by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).
EUs are a statutory agreement which offer an alternative to prosecution and are entered into voluntarily, with the NHVR able to take action should the proposed measures not be implemented satisfactorily.
After two separate and significant mass breach incidents, Ferrycarrig Construction Pty Ltd proposed implementing nine safety initiatives.
These included ensuring subcontracts contain compliance assuring conditions and other Chain of Responsibility (CoR) performance-management provisions, targeted COR training focused on loading procedures, a load management campaign and establishing a calibration register.
The company also proposed finalising retro-fitting scales to its remaining fleet 6 to 10-wheeler trucks, implementing a load mass verification system to record each loaded trip, and adding labels of the allowable mass limits to these trucks.
The EU was accepted by the NHVR in September 2023. The regulator says Ferrycarrig Construction has since delivered its proposed enhanced safety measures.
NHVR executive director statutory compliance Raymond Hassall says the NHVR would accept an EU proposal when it’s determined that the measures will lead to safety benefits for the wider industry.
“Enforceable Undertakings allow the NHVR to further enhance, encourage and monitor safer behaviours, which in turn improves safety for everyone on the road,” Hassall said.
“Rather than companies paying fines for breach incidents, EUs are designed so the money is instead invested internally on measures which directly lead to safer outcomes.
“This case is a strong example of how the NHVR’s commitment to improving the transport community’s safety measures delivers an improved outcome for not only the business and its associated workforce, but the wider public.”
Well, safety is nice but for bureaucrats things up as they go compliance is more important. There’s not much real consultation with the end users of any regulations pumped out by ‘authorities’ across the nation. Experts count and so do pencil neck paper shufflers, real people and what we want doesn’t. So much for democracy and a free nation.