Amendments to the Load Restraint Guide Published
In October 2018 the National Transport Commission NTC of Australia published amendments to the load restraint guide.
The intent of the Load Restraint Guide 2018 has not changed from the original. It still provides users such as drivers, freight consignors and loaders with the basics on how to load vehicles to ensure the safe transport of cargo to its destination.
The overall objective of the load restraint guide is to prevent injury and damage through improper loading of vehicles.
Only in Western Australia is the Load Restraint Guide law. In all other states, it serves as guidance only. Load restraints and transport are governed by the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). The legal requirements governed by this law are outlined in the Load Restraint Guide.
Modules in the Load Restraint Guide
The Load Restraint Guide is modular and each module is a stand-alone document. It has six modules as follows
- Overview – This covers the basics such as legal requirements, restraint methods and the essential elements of a restraint system
- Loads – includes methods of securing different types of loads
- Vehicles and equipment – This section offers advice on the equipment needed for different vehicles structures
- Working out load restraint – Offers specific examples on best practice
- Certification – The why who and how
- Technical advice.
How the Load Restraint Guide has changed
Changes to the Load Restraint Guide 2018 are intended to make it easier for people to use. These changes include:
- It has been written in easy to understand English
- It has been updated to include current best practice in load restraint
- The photos have been removed and replaced with graphics and this has made it much easier to understand
- The document has plenty of hyperlinks that take you to parts relevant to what you are reading
- It includes examples to help to make the guidelines easier to understand.
Compliance with the Guidelines Makes Economic Sense
It is important for the safety of all road users that cargo is effectively restrained. Movement of a load can put the truck driver or other road users in danger. Loss of the load through damage is also an unnecessary waste of money. Load restraint is not just about ensuring that the load does not come off, it is also important that the load does not shift as it can make the vehicle dangerously unstable.
There are many forces that may cause a load to move. These include normal driving conditions such as braking, accelerating or taking a corner. Loss of a load not only causes economic loss, but it can also cause reputational damage to the firm. Restraining cargo effectively does not need to be a complicated task and with training and the correct guidelines, it can be easily accomplished.
Everybody with control over the packing, loading, transport or unloading of cargo is responsible for complying with the HVNL, and any one of them can be held responsible if the load is not properly restrained.
The Load Restraint Guide 2018 is aimed at making it easy for you to comply with the law. By following the clear and simple guidelines you can ensure that your cargo is safely transported, saving lives, money and the possibility of reputational damage.
For more information https://allaboutlifting.com.au/all-lifting/load-restraint-guide/
