The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has launched a month-long national safety operation aimed at cleaning up unsafe driving practices within the waste and construction industries and improving road safety for all.
NHVR Chief Operations Officer Paul Salvati said Operation Sapphire will focus on key safety risks within the waste and construction industries, including mechanical, mass, dimension, loading and permit non-compliance.
"The transport of waste and construction materials is integral to Australia's infrastructure and economy; however, it can also be intrinsically hazardous and present challenging safety risks for the driver of the vehicle, and other road users," Mr Salvati said.
"Whether it's overloaded skips or unsecured scaffolding, contravention of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) can have severe consequences for everyone on the road.
"Through Operation Sapphire, we are aiming to proactively reduce road safety risks within the waste and construction industries before they turn into serious incidents and prevent the devastating impacts of road trauma on communities across Australia."
The NHVR conducted a similar operation focused on the construction industry last year and found that mechanical non-compliance continued to be the primary safety risk, with brakes the top cause of concern.
Mr Salvati said loading offences were the second highest risk area detected during last year's operation.
"A recent incident on a major highway north of Sydney, where hundreds of kilograms of metal shards allegedly spilled from a truck and damaged hundreds of vehicles as a result, highlights the serious risks associated with loading non-compliance," he reiterated.
"During Operation Sapphire, our Safety and Compliance (SCOs) will zero in on the key issues we have detected in past local, state and national operations, including carrying out inspections at sites of interest, such as quarries and waste disposal sites.
"This operation is timely, with many large-scale construction projects also currently taking place across the country, resulting in significant heavy vehicle movements within these industries.
"SCOs will focus their compliance and enforcement efforts on heavy vehicles involved in construction and waste industry activities, including transporting building materials or equipment to and from construction sites, or transporting waste to a facility."
In line with the NHVR's data driven, intelligence-led approach, SCOs will also concentrate their efforts on operators identified as posing a higher safety risk, which in turn will increase efficiency for compliant operators.
"Tragically, there has already been 51 lives lost in crashes involving heavy vehicles across Australia this year - this is deeply troubling," Mr Salvati said.
"The NHVR will work closely with police agencies in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania - who in addition to HVNL compliance, will also focus on driving under the influence and other safety risks within these industries.
"The safety of all drivers remains our number one priority, and with the road toll already far too high, Operation Sapphire is crucial to preventing further tragedy on our roads."
