New Primary Duty laws in 2018
On 1 October 2018, the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) will be amended to provide that every party in the heavy vehicle transport supply chain has a duty to ensure the safety of their transport activities. In practical terms, this primary duty represents an obligation to eliminate or minimise potential harm or loss (risk) by doing all that is reasonably practicable to ensure safety. As a party in the supply chain, the best way to do this is to have safety management systems and controls in place, such as business practices, training, procedures and review processes that:
- identify, assess, evaluate, and control risk
- manage compliance with speed, fatigue, mass, dimension, loading and vehicle standards requirements through identified best practice
- involve regular reporting, including to executive officers
- document or record actions taken to manage safety.
Information sessions
The NHVR is holding more industry information sessions across the country to explain the changes to CoR, the impact on your business and how a Safety Management System can help you effectively manage your operation’s safety risks.
| Register | Date | State | Location | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completed | 14 Aug | VIC | Bendigo | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | The All Seasons Hotel Bendigo, 171-183 McIvor Hwy |
| Completed | 15 Aug | VIC | Warragul | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | Warragul Club Downtowner, 55-57 Victoria St |
| Completed | 15 Aug | NT | Darwin | 9.30am - 10.30am ACST | Rydges Palmerston, 15 Maluka Drive |
| Completed | 16 Aug | NSW | Dubbo | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | Dubbo RSL Club Resort, 178 Brisbane St |
| Completed | 17 Aug | NSW | Wagga Wagga | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | Wagga RSL Club, Kincaid St and Dobbs St |
| Completed | 21 Aug | TAS | Hobart | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | Brighton Motel Hotel, 141 Brighton Rd |
| Register | 22 Aug | TAS | Launceston | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | Best Western Plus Launceston, 3 Earl Street |
| Register | 28 Aug | SA | Mt Gambier | 1.30pm - 2.30pm ACST | The Main Corner Complex, 1 Bay Road |
| Register | 29 Aug | SA | Port Augusta | 1.30pm - 2.30pm ACST | Port Augusta Cultural Club, 6 Beauchamp Lane |
| Register | 29 Aug | QLD | Mackay | 4.00pm - 5.00pm AEST | West Tigers Leagues Club, Branscombe Road |
| Register | 11 Sep | VIC | Melbourne | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | Hoppers Crossing Plaza Tavern, 250 Heaths Rd |
| Register | 11 Sep | VIC | Melbourne | 6.30pm - 7.30pm AEST | Dandenong Club, 1579 Heatherton Rd |
| Register | 12 Sep | SA | Adelaide | 9.30am - 10.30am ACST | Mawson Lakes Hotel, 10 Main Street |
| Register | 12 Sep | SA | Adelaide | 1.30pm - 2.30pm ACST | Mawson Lakes Hotel, 10 Main Street |
| Register | 18 Sep | QLD | Brisbane | 9.30am-10.30am AEST | Tech Park, 1 Clunies Ross Court |
| Register | 18 Sep | QLD | Brisbane | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | NHVR Brisbane office, 76 Skyring Tce |
| Register | 18 Sep | ACT | Canberra | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | The Roos Club Queanbeyan, 74 Stuart Street |
| Register | 24 Sep | NSW | Newcastle | 6.30pm - 7.30pm AEST | Wests New Lambton Bowling Club, 1a Tauranga Rd |
| Register | 24 Sep | NSW | Sydney | 1.30pm - 2.30pm AEST | Rooty Hill RSL ,55 Sherbrooke St |
COR Gap Assessment Tool
- Through a series of practical questions, the CoR Gap Assessment Tool enables you to examine your business practices and systems controls against known risks and recognised best practice.
Safety Management Systems
- Introduction to risk management (PDF, 424KB) - This guide will familiarise you with risk management and help you begin to establish and refine your own processes for identifying, assessing and managing risks in your heavy vehicle transport activities.
- SMS fact sheet (PDF, 269KB) - A Safety Management System is a systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organisational structures, accountabilities, policies and procedures, which is integrated throughout the business wherever possible.
For more information see the following section of our website, Safety Management Systems (SMS).
This video provides first-hand accounts from four heavy vehicle operators and logistics companies about controls and systems they were implementing ahead of changes to Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws, coming in mid-2018.
CoR Building capability
The NHVR held a number of information sessions across Australia to help build the capability to identify risks associated your business' transport activities and understand how safety management systems can assist you to manage that risk and comply with your obligations under the HVNL. A video recording of one of the info sessions as well as copies of the presentations delivered can be viewed below.
- CoR presentation - Changes to Change of Responsibility (PDF, 1.5MB)
- CoR presentation - Capability by Design (PDF, 2.8MB)
- CoR presentation - Philosophy of CoR (PDF, 1.8MB)
Is your business ready? Are you ready?
If you are part of the supply chain, make sure you are aware of your role and responsibilities.
- CoR checklist (PDF, 107KB) - Use this checklist for the tasks you undertake in your role to see if you are a party in the transport supply chain under the HVNL.
- Know your role (PDF, 1.1MB) - New CoR laws are a significant step forward in recognising that everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in ensuring heavy vehicle safety.