Tackling Heavy Vehicle Safety Through Online Education

HVIA has unveiled two new online courses, funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), and supported by the Australian Government.

The “Load Restraint Fundamentals” and “Best Practice Tyre Management” courses are the outcome of HVIA’s Safety Through Education project with both now available on the HVIA Training online platform.

National Transport Insurance’s (NTI) NTARC Major Accident Investigation Report series has consistently highlighted the safety-critical nature of load restraint and tyre management practices, which are also often raised by roadside enforcement officers as areas of concern.

HVIA’s National Manager of Strategic Projects and Business Improvement, Steve Power, says the interactive online learning education courses will be transformative.

“The Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management courses have been built on the same platform as HVIA’s popular HV101,” he says.

“As an induction-style course, HV101 has become a staple for introducing concepts and terminology to people entering or working with the heavy vehicle industry.

“We hope every fleet owner or manager will see the value in making these new courses part of their on-boarding process and build them into a program of refresher training that even the best and safest drivers should be receiving.

“The proven platform enables successful participation by drivers and workers across the supply chain and will lead to improved safety outcomes.”

HVIA Chief Technical Officer Adam Ritzinger says correctly specified and maintained tyres and wheels improve the safety outcomes of the most critical and most consumable heavy vehicle component.

“The Best Practice Tyre Management course will guide operators to develop their own procedures including maintenance, rotation and replacement policies,” he says.

Ritzinger says the Load Restraint Fundamentals course transforms complex written guidance information into a simple, immersive, practical online education course.

“Packing, loading and load restraint requirements are relevant to the entire transport supply chain,” he says.

“Load Restraint Fundamentals will ensure heavy vehicle operators and other members in the chain understand their responsibilities and refresh their knowledge as required.”

NHVR Chief Safety and Productivity Officer David Hourigan says the HVSI program supports key initiatives that deliver tangible safety improvements for the heavy vehicle industry and all road users.

“Through our HVSI program, grantees have the ability to develop innovative solutions to achieve a shared goal of safer drivers, safer vehicles and safer road use for all Australians,” he says.

“The NHVR is looking forward to seeing the positive outcomes of these interactive courses, including the impact they have on industry.”

Power expresses HVIA’s gratitude to its member organisations, the NHVR and other industry stakeholders who provided their time, resources and experience to the development of the courses.

“The HVSI funding initiative has been instrumental in improving resources and training available for road transport operators,” he says.

“Our team have been working hard to ensure the courses address these important safety concepts in a way that engages their audience; the generous assistance and guidance invested by so many parties during the project has really paid off.”

The courses can both be found on the HVIA Training website and a launch special for all purchases before the New Year reduces the cost from $99.00 to just $29.00 per person. To claim the discount, use the code “HVSI” at the checkout. The option of purchasing bulk registrations, that can be used over a period, is perfect for managing a team with full back-of-house access and visibility for group leaders.