Product Safety Laws

Chain of responsibility (CoR) provisions in transport law are designed to ensure that any party in a position to control, influence, prevent or encourage particular on-road behaviours is identified and held appropriately accountable.

New CoR laws commence 1 October 2018

The new laws will bring CoR principles into alignment with obligations under WHS and OHS laws throughout Australia.

The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) provides that every party in the heavy vehicle transport supply chain has a duty to ensure the safety of their transport activities. In practical terms, this primary duty represents an obligation to eliminate or minimise potential harm or loss (risk) by doing all that is reasonably practicable to ensure safety. As a party in the supply chain, the best way to do this is to have appropriate safety management systems and controls in place.

See the - Summary of the proposed changes 

Is your business ready? Are you ready?

If you are part of the supply chain, make sure you are aware of your role and responsibilities.

• CoR checklist - Use this checklist for the tasks you undertake in your role to see if you are a party in the transport supply chain under the HVNL.
• Know your role - New CoR laws are a significant step forward in recognising that everyone in the supply chain has a role to play in ensuring heavy vehicle safety.  Those with obligations include:

• Consignees
• Consignors
• Employers
• Executive Officers
• Loaders/Unloaders
• Loading Managers
• Local Government
• Operators
• Packers
• Primary Producers
• Prime Contractors
• Schedulers