A joint two-day blitz in South Australia has revealed a raft of concerning safety issues and the exploitation of migrant workers, said the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).
The NHVR teamed with South Australia Police, the Australian Border Force (ABF) and SafeWork SA for Operation Vigilant at the Monteith Checking Stations with 32 NHVR Safety and Compliance Officers (SCOs) conducting 75 targeted intercepts.
It was the first time the four agencies had worked together on a local operation.
NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said more than half of all heavy vehicles stopped on the Princes Highway were found to be non-compliant – with offences ranging from self-clearing defects to major violations.
“Unfortunately, there were 38 defect notices issued throughout the operation, three of which were classified as major, with the most prevalent offences being mechanical defects such as faulty brakes, and issues with steering and suspension, and wheels, tyres and hubs,” Salvati said.
“SCOs also issued one official warning and three infringements, including for a substantial fatigue breach, serving as a clear reminder for drivers to ensure they aren’t driving tired.
“It’s disappointing to see drivers and operators doing the wrong thing, especially with more than 179 lives lost in crashes involving a heavy vehicle last year – by failing to maintain your vehicle or adhere to work and rest requirements, you are not only jeopardising your own safety, but the safety of all other road users.”
To ensure drivers understood how to comply with their safety obligations, Salvati said SCOs provided education during 24 of the intercepts conducted, guided by the NHVR’s inform, educate and enforce approach.
“We encourage industry to access the NHVR website, where we have a wide range of safety and compliance related resources available to help with education, including guidelines, training videos and contacts for support.”
ABF officers from the Department of Home Affairs conducted checks relating to migrant worker exploitation, identifying “four individuals of concern”.
Among them were two unlawful non-citizens and two individuals suspected of breaching visa work conditions. As a result, one person was detained, while another was granted a bridging visa to facilitate their departure from the country.
It is a criminal offence to employ, refer or contract a non-citizen who doesn’t have the right to work in Australia.
SafeWork SA Director Compliance and Enforcement Brett Pfeffer said the operation was important in monitoring the heavy vehicle industry’s compliance with the Work Health and Safety Act.
“Our inspectors issued 75 improvement notices relating to breaches of the WHS Act. These ranged from defective, poorly maintained or absent fire extinguishers and first aid kits to non-compliant vehicle maintenance and load restraint maintenance.
“A further five notices were issued in relation to carrying dangerous substances.
“The number of notices issued exceeded our expectations, which indicates the heavy vehicle industry has more work to do to comply with their WHS obligations in South Australia.”
SA Police Acting Inspector Tiffany Gray said South Australia Police will continue to have a coordinated approach to heavy vehicle regulation and welcome the support of partner agencies.
“Operation Vigilant and our daily operations will continue to ensure the compliance of heavy vehicle drivers for not just their safety but all road users.”