The Chain of Responsibility (CoR) means that every time your business transports goods using a heavy vehicle (over 4.5 tonnes), regardless of industry, you become part of the chain and have a shared responsibility.
With the changes to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) which came into force on 1 October 2018, including Chain of Responsibility (CoR) Legislation, the need for safety compliance and accountability has moved up to a whole new level.
It means that businesses are required to have safety systems and controls in place to identify, assess and manage risks as they relate to your business and activities within your supply chain. the four main areas of compliance are:
- Speed
- Fatigue
- Mass, Dimension and Load Restraint
- Vehicle Standards
The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) is designed to stop business practices or demands that may cause a driver to undertake a journey in an unsafe manner. As a business, you have a legal obligation to be up to date with potential risks to your heavy vehicle transport tasks and take steps to eliminate or minimise safety risks, so far as is reasonably practicable.
RESILIENCECO have experienced consultants that can work with you to develop Safety Management Systems to ensure all those within your supply chain are clear on your policies and procedures and what they need to do to stay compliant with all transport and safety Legislation. Our consultants can review and recommend areas for improvement and assist with rolling out recommendations. Some areas that RESILIENCECO can assist businesses in include:
- Ensuring good business management practices exist, monitoring safety practices, and training to ensure that workers do not risk breaching the fatigue management and/or speed regulations.
- Ensuring that loads are weighed, measured, and appropriately secured at all times.
- Carrying out regular vehicle inspections and maintenance to ensure that your vehicles are safe and roadworthy.
- Ensuring that schedules are set with realistic, achievable time frames, taking into account both the distances involved and the likely conditions the driver will face when on route.
- Ensuring that loading and unloading activities are carried out efficiently and in a timely manner so that drivers are not unreasonably delayed.
- Ensuring that goods are packed securely.
- Engaging upper levels of management in the daily safe operations.
- Regularly engaging with other (external) parties involved in your supply chain to ensure sound understanding and safe practices are being followed.
- Designing contracts and business agreements to ensure drivers and all other parties in the supply chain adhere to the Law.
- Conducting regular Risk Assessments.
- Documenting all driver and vehicle activities, including journey times and vehicle speeds, scheduling and any issues and/or delays encountered on route or whilst loading or unloading.
What is a "Primary Duty"?
This approach is similar to the "general duties" provisions under existing workplace health and safety laws and is a significant step towards further improving safety in the transport industry.
The Law makes it clear that every party in the supply chain has an ongoing "duty" to ensure safe practices. if you are doing everything that is reasonably able to be done to identify, assess, reduce or wherever possible, remove safety risks related to your transport activities, you are likely to be complying with the Law.
What are some common breaches of CoR Obligations?
CoR obligations can be breached in many ways. Some examples include applying business practices or demands that cause a driver to breach fatigue management requirements, or speed limits; failing to weigh, measure or secure loads; setting schedules with unrealistic time frames; causing delays in loading and unloading; packing goods incorrectly; failing to consult or engage with other parties to ensure safe practices; and entering terms in contracts and arrangements that encourage, reward or give incentives to the driver or other parties in the supply chain to breach the Law.
How do I fulfil my Safety Duty?
What you should do will depend on the level of safety risk and factors such as whether you own your own vehicle or contract the heavy vehicle services from a transport operator.
If you have defined ways to make sure you're doing everything you can to manage the safety risks associated with your operations, then you should continue to apply those same processes.
Some things you could do include acquiring a knowledge of potential risks to your heavy vehicle transport task, taking steps to minimise or eliminate your heavy vehicle safety risks and monitoring heavy vehicle safety.
What can we do for you?
Chain of Responsibility Management Systems
Chain of Responsibility Management Systems
Chain of Responsibility Management Systems
RESILIENCECO tailor all Chain of Responsibility (CoR) Management Systems to the individual needs of your business. The CoR Manual is a comprehensive Manual equipped with a suite of supporting documents, forms and registers to assist your business with its compliance records and documentation requirements. RESILIENCECO also assist in the implementation of the Management System within your business.
CoR Audit & Gap Analysis
Chain of Responsibility Management Systems
Chain of Responsibility Management Systems
RESILIENCECO auditors can come out to your workplace and carry out a review on your systems, policies, procedures and work practices against a detailed audit tool in order to assess your level of compliance with the HVNL, CoR and WHS Laws.
Businesses are then provided with a detailed compliance report detailing recommendations for improvement to your current business practices.
Training & Support
Chain of Responsibility Management Systems
Training & Support
RESILIENCECO have developed a range of CoR training programs targeted at all levels as required for businesses and operators to assist in the training and induction of management, schedulers, allocators, drivers, loaders, maintenance staff, subcontractors, and directors of the business.