Companies given until January 2019 to fit anti-roll systems on all trailers, not just new ones.
The New South Wales Government has announced that all dangerous good trailers travelling on roads in the state must be fitted with rollover control by the start of 2019.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has made the determination under dangerous goods regulations in response to a number of fatal fuel tanker collisions in NSW.
It says the most notable of these was the 2009 crash near Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast and the 2013 incident at Mona Vale in Sydney. Both crashes involved Cootes tankers.
The EPA’s director of hazardous incidents and environmental health, Craig Lamberton, says the determination means that all existing dangerous goods tank trailers must be fitted with rollover control by January 1, 2019, if their owners want to keep operating them.
This is in addition to an earlier determination requiring that all new dangerous goods tank trailers manufactured on or after July this year need to be fitted with rollover control.
Rollover control can also be known as ‘Roll stability system’ or ‘Roll stability function’.
“Rollover control reduces the risk of vehicle rollover and is consistent with good industry practice both here and internationally,” Lamberton says.
“The decision to require retrofitting of rollover control to tanker trailers by January 1, 2019 is an Australian first and fully supported by the National Bulk Tanker Association and the Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association.
“Other states had agreed in principle to this initiative in late 2013 but they couldn’t agree on the final draft determination, so the NSW EPA has taken the initiative to make the determination on its own.
“The EPA has been in extensive consultation with the transport industry and the national dangerous goods Competent Authorities Panel on these changes – given that the trailers in question travel across borders and may be licensed in another state.
“The five-year period allows for existing dangerous goods tank trailer owners to appropriately schedule the changes to their fleet.”
Check out the October issue of ATN for our feature on tanker rollover prevention and recovery. Click here to secure your copy now.