NHVR Releases Draft Livestock and Rural Transporters Fatigue Management Scheme

Following the regulators promise in June when the national regulator guaranteed a new fatigue scheme was on its way for the livestock transport sector, The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has released a draft Livestock and Rural Transporters Fatigue Management Scheme package on its website.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator is tackling fatigue among drivers involved in the transport of livestock and rural operations because this group experiences some unique conditions.

In June this year, the NHVR used the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) conference to announce livestock and rural transporters will be able to schedule driver rosters over 14 days and that they were also working on the creation of two more fatigue management modules.

In an article on Fullyloaded.com.au, Phillip Halton from the NHVR was quoted after speaking at the ALRTA conference. He explained that drivers will be able to work for up to 12 consecutive days as long as they finish all work before midnight and have an increased number of short breaks from driving. He went on to explain:

The roster scheme, called ‘fortnightly cycles’, is designed to cater for the long distances and distinct operating requirements livestock transporters grapples with.

Read more at: http://www.fullyloaded.com.au

The NHVR stated on its website that livestock and rural transport operators were facing some unique circumstances and they were also operating in a different and demanding environment in inland Australia than other drivers. This prompted The NHVR to release the Livestock and Rural Transport Fatigue Management Scheme (LRTFMS).

The LRTFMS, according to the NHVR provides an “end-to-end” AFM accreditation system designed to give operators the flexibility to respond to uncertainties/changes while still managing their fatigue risk.

The Draft of the Livestock and Rural Transporters Fatigue Management Scheme package can be downloaded on the NHVR’s website (https://www.nhvr.gov.au ). The package includes a template system and supporting documentation. However this draft package is simply for members of the industry to review and then offer feedback, it is not meant to be used to apply for AFM accreditation, the NHVR warns.

The NHVR went on to state on its website why feedback from the industry is being called for,

If you are involved in livestock and rural transport, your views and feedback will be of great benefit to ensuring that these templates meet the needs of industry.

Please use the Industry feedback form (DOC, 36KB) and send your feedback (as well as any questions or comments) to [email protected]

In recognition that this is a busy period for industry, consultation will be open until Friday, 30 January 2015.

Source: https://www.nhvr.gov.au

It would be in every operators’ best interest to review the draft and provide feedback on the draft because once implemented, the scheme would have a major impact on the way fatigue is managed and the way companies operate.

It is also important to provide feedback because no one, not even the NHVR knows the unique issues that rural and livestock drivers face like the drivers and operators themselves, therefore your insight would prove invaluable. For more see https://www.nhvr.gov.au