Free workshops on load restraint risks for forestry workers kick off in NSW, Vic and SA this week
A new round of free safety workshops for forestry workers will kick off this week in regional New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia under the guidance of the Australian Forestry Contractors Association (AFCA).
The three-hour workshops provide training on truck rollovers, load restraint risks and Chain of Responsibility, and have been developed to address challenges unique to forestry in partnership with load restraint engineering consultancy Engistics.
AFCA general manager Stacey Gardiner says the sessions are aimed at anyone involved in forestry haulage, including employees of forest management companies and contracting businesses as well as operators who load and unload wood, truck drivers and processors who accept wood from trucks.
The course aims to provide information about how to identify faults in existing load restraint systems, the legal obligations of securing loads and how to ensure the stability of vehicles transporting forestry products.
“The sessions also cover chain of responsibility and proposed changes to the law, recent load restraint research and testing, rollovers and incident investigation findings including who is responsible when things go wrong,” Gardiner says.
“This is crucial information for all stakeholders in our in our sector and participants who have already attended have said it has been invaluable.”
The program is supported by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), which funds the program under its Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative.
NHVR stakeholder manager John Gilbert says the training provides much-needed support and advice, particularly in relation to truck rollovers.
“These workshops provide crucial information on load restraint, key impacts on vehicle stability when transporting forestry products and emerging technologies in this high-risk industry,” Gilbert says.
“Training can make all the difference in keeping safety at the forefront of people’s thinking about how they carry out their work and NHVR is keen to support the initiative.”
Registrations are still open for sessions to be held this week at Tumut, Bathurst, Myrtleford, Coffs Harbour and Eden, and next week at Portland, Mount Gambier and Traralgon.