A “CoR Management Plan” can be a contractual requirement for providers or users of transport and logistics services utilising heavy vehicles.
Background (adapted from RMS NSW documentation)
Under the HVNL, government departments, private companies, and Contractors may be a party to CoR provisions.
The CoR provisions impose liability for heavy vehicle offences on all people or businesses whose actions, inactions or demands influence conduct on the road as well as on-road parties such as drivers and operators.
The CoR provisions are designed to ensure that any party in a position to control, influence or encourage particular on-road behaviours is identified and held appropriately accountable. In simple terms CoR recognises the on-road effects of the actions, inactions and demands of off-road parties in the transport and supply chain.
Specified parties in the CoR perform particular activities that influence road transport operations and have a direct impact on the safety of drivers and the general public. These parties must be appropriately accountable for the influence and control they exercise.
To comply with the HVNL law, government departments, private companies, and Contractors must ensure that they can demonstrate reasonable steps are taken to prevent a breach from occurring in the workplace or as a result of its activities.
Implementing, Monitoring & Auditing CoR Management Plans
The contract manager responsible for the contract will require that the Contractor’s CoR performance is monitored, particularly the Contractor’s implementation of the CoR Management Plan.
The Contractor must be audited against its CoR Management Plan, usually done as part of integrated systems audits. Relevant external service providers specialised in the CoR provisions should be engaged to conduct the audits.
As a minimum, the CoR Management Plan must address:
(i) hazard identification and risk analysis of CoR issues, including formal CoR risk workshops at key stages (design development and construction) including the designer, Contractor, Subcontractors and suppliers of major items, the government department or Principal Contractor Representative and the Project Verifier. The CoR risk workshops can be combined with the WHS risk workshops;
(ii) reporting on near misses, accidents, incidents and infringements arising from CoR issues, within two working days of such events taking place, and including corrective actions in monthly progress reports.
(iii) the orderly management of CoR issues throughout the Contractor’s Work and the provision of evidence that the Contractor has met its legalCoR obligations;
(iv) methods of managing interfaces with other stakeholders, suppliers, subcontractors and other organisations related to CoR;
(v) methods of dealing with relevant regulators and Authorities related toCoR;
(vi) strategy and processes for obtaining all necessary approvals which have CoR implications;
(vii) methods of developing, implementing and reporting on safety metrics for CoR;
(viii)the organisation chart showing team structure and defining CoR responsibilities, including for the project handover stage;
(ix) CoR related communication protocols, including for the project handover stage;
(x) key personnel, description of their positions/qualifications and reporting lines, as related to CoR;
(xi) resources management, including addressing shortage of skilled resources that are critical to management of CoR issues.