Powering On-Road Safety Solutions
What is Chain of Responsibility?
Chain of Responsibility isn't just a good idea - It's the LAW!
There are many instances of a Chain of Responsibility, but in Australia, and more specifically in Australian logistics networks, we have associated Chain of Responsibility also known as CoR, with the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
Some other forms of CoR, where the phrase may not be shared in the same manner are:
- There are many instances of a Chain of Responsibility, but in Australia, and more specifically in Australian logistics networks, we have associated Chain of Responsibility also known as CoR, with the Heavy Vehicle National Law. Some other forms of CoR, where the phrase may not be shared in the same manner are;
- Aircraft pilots have a very clear CoR line of control where the captain of the aircraft takes full responsibility for the actions of any other pilot who may have control of the aircraft.
Ensuring Safety Of Others
I often talk about safety or compliance training as a key element within any business or PCBU to mitigate the risks of a manager or business itself becoming a target for the Heavy Vehicle Regulator or the Police.
Although Chain of Responsibility (or CoR) compliance training is generally geared towards heavy vehicle truck drivers, anywhere you look. The reality is though that truck drivers only contribute to a small portion of your potential liability. Those that can inflict a more significant legal liability and financial damage in your business include
- Executives
- Consignees
- Consignors
- Employers
- Operators
- Packer
- Prime Contractors
- Loading Managers
- Scheduler
- Loaders/Unloaders
A message from the director of MAEZ, Matthew Wragg
“Your prospective customers don’t ask about the cost in their first line of questioning anymore. They ask about YOUR safety system.” Chain of responsibility impacts the entire Supply Network, are you ready to provide your safety detail?
Must You Meet Australian Chain of Responsibility?
The Chain of Responsibility (CoR) is a legal framework established under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) that holds parties in the heavy vehicle transport supply chain responsible for ensuring the safety of their transport activities. The CoR applies to parties who have control or influence over the transport activities, regardless of whether they are the person actually driving the vehicle.
Yes, organizations that operate or engage in the heavy vehicle transport supply chain, such as consignors, consignees, packers, loaders, prime contractors and schedulers, must comply with the CoR provisions of the HVNL, and ensure that the heavy vehicles used in their transport activities are operated safely and comply with all relevant laws and regulations.
Non-compliance with CoR provisions can result in significant penalties, including fines, enforceable undertakings, and in some cases, imprisonment. It’s important for organizations to take steps to understand and comply with their CoR obligations to ensure the safety of their transport activities and avoid legal consequences.
As consultants in safety, our job is to inform and raise awareness of risks and to assist in the mitigation of those risks. The Heavy Vehicle National Law is designed to ensure that those who engage in transport activity, do not implicate a bystander or an employee to any risk, that by virtue of the task within any business may subject someone to.
Similarly, Workplace Health and Safety legislation is almost identical but is aimed at businesses to ensure they proactively manage safety within the confines of their operation. By virtue of what the companies do to make a profit, they cannot implicate an employee or bystander of any risk of injury to themselves. It is the responsibility of the company and leaders of that business to ensure safety within the organisation.
So What Does Australian Legislation Compliance Look Like?
Australian legislation compliance refers to the process of ensuring that a business or organization is adhering to all relevant laws and regulations in Australia. This can include compliance with workplace health and safety laws, consumer protection laws, environmental laws, and other regulations specific to a particular industry or field.
Compliance with Australian legislation is typically enforced by government agencies such as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Businesses that fail to comply with Australian legislation can face penalties such as fines, legal action, and damage to their reputation.
There are critical steps to ensure that your business complies with the CoR laws in NSW, QLD, ACT, VIC, TAS, or SA.
While the legislation calls for businesses to meet safety standards, no two systems may always look alike, and no one system may work for a specific company, especially if it has a particular type of transport task, which is vastly different to mainstream transport tasks.
However, there is a framework that works across the board to meet a level of compliance.
Safety Policy Statement
The safety policy statement typically includes the following :
- A statement of the company's commitment to safety
- Description of the safety management system
- Description of safety procedures
- Description of roles and responsibilities of employees
- Description of how the company will measure and evaluate its safety performance
- Emergency procedures
- Contact information for safety related questions
Procedure Mapping
The next step is to identify the processes or procedures you have working within your organisation and to adopt a written template of the process. Without understanding a printed version of what you do, it’s very difficult and loose of an organisation to then explain to others what you expect of them. So it’s important to note this down, so you have a go-to should you need to define a task or process to someone else.
In my experience, procedure mapping is a process improvement technique that visually represents the steps and tasks involved in a particular process or procedure. It is a way of analyzing and documenting how a process works, and identifying areas where improvements can be made.
Procedure mapping is often used to create standard operating procedures (SOPs) and to improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of a process. It involves breaking down the process into individual steps and tasks, and then creating a visual representation of the process using a flowchart or other diagram.
- Define the process: Identify the process that you want to map and define its boundaries.
- Gather data: Collect information about the process, including the steps involved, the people and resources needed, and the inputs and outputs.
- Create a flowchart: Use the information gathered to create a visual representation of the process, showing the flow of tasks and the relationships between them.
- Analyze the process: Review the flowchart and identify areas where improvements can be made, such as reducing process steps, eliminating bottlenecks, and increasing efficiency.
- Implement changes: Make changes to the process based on the analysis, and test the changes to ensure they are effective.
- Communicate and document: Share the new process with the team and document it to ensure everyone understands the new process and can follow it.
Procedure mapping is a powerful tool for process improvement and can help organizations to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase safety and quality.
On-road risks are everywhere, and it's time to fix it.
MAEZ use innovative safety strategies and creative problem-solving methodologies to help companies and leaders remove their risks.
Along the way, we discovered that removing risks requires a deep understanding of complicated Supply Chains and the downward pressures placed upon the Supply Chain leaders.
This is the most often overlooked, but also the most crucial of elements in any safety system.
CoR training of your business policies and procedures is critical for your ongoing safety systems success. When explaining your workplace guidelines, you are outlining the capacity of which you expect your employees to work, within your organisation. You are in essence providing the boundaries and expectations of their output.
There are many ways you can enhance your employees understanding of CoR, and you can provide toolbox talks regularly. You can have a chain of responsibility training provider attend your workplace. Alternatively, you can even opt for CoR online courses explicitly aimed at those employees who are time-poor and which are critical to your organisations’ success.
MAEZ has found that CoR training in WA, QLD, Adelaide and even chain of responsibility training in NSW, as well as CoR training in Vic, is difficult and costly to deliver, simply because of businesses geographic locations and constraints due to operational demands. On-demand compliance training that is delivered online can be flexible and inexpensive to provide. Not to mention, that Heavy Vehicle National Legislation does not demand accredited courses to every listed party, and due to the cost of an accredited course, MAEZ has been hard at work creating courses aimed at the user experience and awareness, rather than accredited courses that often deliver copious amounts of information over two days of training.
Accredited training often focuses on Fatigue, or Load Restraint and does not cater for everyday needs of warehouse staff, such as forklift drivers or warehouse managers. To meet CoR legislation in NSW or any other state part of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, you only need to consider awareness training to supplement your employee’s awareness through on the job toolbox reinforcement. It is not legally required that you include VET training courses unless you require specific accreditation in your business.
Chain of Responsibility Laws in Summary
To quickly phrase the two areas of law within a simple context, workplace health and safety regulations are designed to keep anyone safe within the walls it operates. Australian National Heavy Vehicle Legislation is designed to keep people safe whilst goods are in transit, including the general public and our public infrastructure.
The business and its directors or executives have a prime duty to ensure everyone’s safety, whether they work for the company directly or not.
MAEZ Chain of Responsibility Training Course
If you would like to learn more about what MAEZ can do to help you or your organisation, then get in touch. We are considered in the industry and beyond as helpers and supporters of heavy vehicle safety.
Get in touch and find out more now 1300 553 811