NTC's updated load restraint guide available online

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has released an updated load restraint guide on its website.

Drivers, operators and other participants in the transport chain of responsibility will be able to access the improved load restraint guide and a complementary guide specifically for light vehicles.

Chief executive Paul Retter said that the updated Load Restraint Guide 2018 provides practical advice on how to safely transport a load.

“If you’re involved in packing, loading, moving or unloading any type of vehicle, you are responsible for complying with load restraint laws.

“Restraining your load is not complex, but it does require training and knowledge. This guide will help you to know how to restrain your load safely through practical guidance material, including diagrams, in a user-friendly style, allowing you to find the information you need quickly,” he said.

The guide includes information on understanding the characteristics of the load in order to choose a suitable vehicle, as well as equipment and restraint systems which meet the performance standards legally required by law.

“The guide is an invaluable resource to ensure you are restraining loads correctly to prevent incidents that can cause death or injury, as well as damage to your business’s reputation and finances.

“We encourage everyone who is involved in restraining loads to read the guide and keep it handy as a reference,” Retter said.

This is the first time a version focusing on light vehicles has also been available, specifically for vehicles under 4.5 tonnes.

“The Load Restraint Guide for Light Vehicles presents advice specific to the needs of light vehicle drivers — such as tradies, couriers or for the everyday driver taking a load to the rubbish tip — to make it easier for them to ensure their loads are restrained safely,” Retter said.

Both guides are now available to download from the NTC’s website. Further information about how to purchase printed copies will be available shortly.

Image credit: ©Harald Tjøstheim/Dollar Photo Club