The Queensland Parliament passed amendments to the National Heavy Vehicle Law on 1 December 2016.

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Acting CEO Ray Hassall said the amendments are a welcomed improvement and will be critical for a more robust heavy vehicle industry.

“These reforms are a significant leap forward in recognising everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in ensuring safety,” Mr Hassall said.

The reforms come into effect in mid-2018 and aim to complement heavy vehicle and national workplace safety laws, and place a positive duty of care on all supply chain parties.

As a fleet manager, understanding Chain of Responsibility and your obligations is always front of mind. To assist, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has published a range of fact sheets and podcasts.

Topics covered in the fact sheets include; an overview, Your Responsibilities, Managing Fatigue Risks, Loads in Excess of Legal Limits, Managing Speed and Primary Duties. Topics covered on the podcasts include; COR and Managing Fatigue Risks, COR and Overloading, COR and Speeding.

Further information can be found here.

At the IPWEA Fleet Conference in May, we will be examining CoR and consequences by running a moot court on a heavy vehicle maintenance-related incident. The outcomes of the moot court will be reviewed by a panel of industry experts.