Chain of Responsibility Issues Highlighted by Sydney Truck Collision

There have been an alarming number of crashes on roads along the eastern seaboard involving heavy vehicles in the last few days. Two people have been seriously injured and another killed as a result.

One of the horrific accidents happened in Sydney recently when 2 semi-trailers collided on the M2 Motorway at Baulkham Hills in Sydney’s North west. The trucks were apparently heading in the same direction when one collided into the back of the other, causing one truck to be wedged beneath the trailer of the other.

One of the truck drivers was trapped in the cabin of the truck for hours before he was freed and transported to hospital, unfortunately he did not survive and was pronounced dead on arrival.

Another accident took place in Ipswich in Queensland on the same day. The following excerpt from an article on Bigrigs.com.au explains more about that crash,

Preliminary information indicates that around 4am, police were attempting to pull over a vehicle travelling at high speed on Redbank Plains Rd when it failed to stop for police.

A tyre deflation device was deployed in a nearby street, but the vehicle drove around it and sped away from the scene.

Patrolling police located the vehicle crashed into the rear of a parked truck on Redbank Plains Road a short time later.

All six occupants in the car were transported to hospital including a woman passenger who sustained critical injuries and five others, one male driver, two male passengers and two female passangers who were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Source: http://www.bigrigs.com.au

The article goes on detail another crash that took place on the Sunshine Coast involving another heavy vehicle. In that incident a 23 year old man was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries after the vehicle he was travelling in and a truck collided on the Kawana Link Road.

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) NSW secretary Michael Aird said that the accident that claimed the truckies life in Sydney highlights the risks that truck drivers face working in the transport sector – Australia’s most dangerous industry. Mr Aird said that crashes were an indication of the pressure that drivers face to meet clients expectations, sometimes speeding, overloading and skipping breaks.

Mr Aird was quoted in an article on trucking website Fullyloaded.com.au,

“This morning’s fatal truck crash on the M2 was a tragic reminder of the risks of working in Australia’s most dangerous industry,” he says.

“It’s important that this crash is fully investigated by the NSW Police, the Coroners’ office, and also by WorkCover, because the roads are a workplace for truck drivers.”

Source: http://www.fullyloaded.com.au

Mr Aird also went on to speak about the problem that truckies face in terms of competition and the need to get the job done faster and more cheaply. These incidents also highlight the importance of chain of responsibility (COR) .legislation and the need to ensure that everyone in the supply chain, not only drivers, receive the necessary COR training. Mr Aird explained:

“Truck drivers are under constant pressure from big companies at the top of the supply chain to do the job quicker and cheaper,” Aird says.

Source: http://www.fullyloaded.com.au

The basics of the Chain Of Responsibility Legislation are outlined here.  The various options for Chain of Responsibility Training are outlined here, but the best place to start is to get a Strategic Review done for your company, or a Chain of Responsibility Audit, or Pre-Audit assessment