Driving for Better Business is calling on trade associations across the UK to raise awareness of safe loading on commercial vehicles.
Unsafe loads on vehicles injure more than 1,200 people a year and cost UK businesses millions of pounds in damaged goods.
While most HGV fleet operators know the regulations and the penalties for cutting corners, awareness across the commercial vehicle sector is much lower. Tippers and open-topped trucks are the vehicles most likely to have insecure, while light commercial vehicles are also more likely to be overloaded or insecure.
It’s an offence to use a vehicle or trailer on a road if it involves a danger of injury to any person. Anyone who causes or permits the offence can be held responsible – including the business – and the penalty is now an unlimited fine.
To spotlight the issue, the DfBB has published a podcast that discusses common errors being made and the solutions.
“The most common problems are inadequate – or a total lack of – risk assessment, and worn out or wrong load securing kit,” says the HSE’s Nina Day, a chartered mechanical engineer and a dangerous goods safety advisor specialising in road and workplace transport, talking on the podcast.
It’s also calling on trade associations to highlight the problem and help raise standards. The British Aggregates Association (BAA) is already working to raise awareness of safe loading – especially of tippers and cement mixers – among its hundreds of members and associate members.
Simon Turner, campaign manager for Driving for Better Business, says: “Trade associations and business networks can play a huge role in raising awareness and standards. They often represent large numbers of smaller companies whose primary activity is not transport, and who may not even realise they have legal responsibilities to their drivers and other road users. We are seeing trade associations in the construction sector take these messages on board and we welcome the BAA for taking this initiative. Safe loading is a responsibility that sits with everyone in the transport chain.”
To listen to the podcast on ‘Safe loading – where do fleet operators get it wrong?’, click here.
The DfBB has a range of practical, free-to-access online resources on load safety and security, available here.
