Australian heavy transport insurer NTI will host a webinar on February 18 for those interested in understanding more about the Heavy Vehicle Master Code that came into effect last month.
The new Code was released by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and is designed as a practical guide to support businesses in understanding their Primary Duty, and executives in understanding their Executive Duty, under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).
NTI’s Supply Chain Technical Manager Aaron Louws says the updated Code will play an important role in helping industry understand what is reasonably practicable when managing safety risks associated with transport activities.
“The law hasn’t changed, but the benchmark has,” Louws says.
“If a business controls or influences heavy vehicle transport activities then the updated Master Code is the single largest collection of reference material in Australia on how to manage those activities, associated hazards and risks.
“The Master Code applies to industries outside traditional transport, including manufacturing, construction, mining, retail and logistics.
“If you send or receive freight, outsource transport, or impose requirements that affect delivery times or loading practices, the Code provides guidance on what you can do to balance safety, productivity and compliance.”
Under the new Code obligations are applied to types of activities, rather than simply being role-based as it was in previous incarnations.
Louws says businesses do not have to implement every control in the Code, but should look at the activities in their business and have a plan in place to cover each of the elements raised in the code, that can be explained to inspectors should the need arise.
To help those in the transport industry to get their head around the new code, NTI’s CoRSafe is offering a range of free resources, including a webinar on 18 February aimed at helping businesses understand what the updates mean in practice.
“This is about being aware of the changes and how they impact you so you can take appropriate action,” Louws says.
The Master Code applies in all jurisdictions except Western Australia and the Northern Territory.