Signed, sealed & delivered: chain of responsibility obligations

The Supply Chain, Warehouse & Distribution industry employs thousands of workers who all make up the smooth running of storing and distributing goods across the country. It is critical for all employees that make up each part of the supply chain process to work together to the best of their ability in completing processes in a timely and safe manner.

Operating in the Warehouse and Supply Chain industry in Australia means it is vital for employees to know their obligations and to ensure they are being fulfilled. Under the Chain of Responsibility (CoR) laws, legal obligations are placed on multiple parties including (but not limited to) employers, consignors (senders) and consignees (receivers of goods), workers responsible for loading/unloading of goods and the loading managers who supervise this.

It is critical for each party of the supply chain to ensure they take responsibility for how goods are delivered or received as well as their Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations. This is especially critical during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This holds especially true for those who are involved in the supply chain process of delivering essential items including food, medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for example, to the respected businesses (consignees).

Each employee that makes up the supply chain needs to ensure that breaches to the law do not occur and the smooth running of delivery from start to finish along with implementing and abiding by correct and safe working procedures. During a pandemic like COVID-19 the CoR is crucial in ensuring businesses and end-users are receiving goods safely, efficiently and effectively.

Further to this the recently released Supply Chain, Warehouse & Distribution Guide to Workplace Safety 2020 by Pro-Visual Publishing in conjunction with the Supply Chain, Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA), the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and the Australasian Supply Chain Institute (ASCI) contains further information regarding CoR as well as other key safety issues pertinent to the industry. With digital interactivity using Augmented Reality (AR) further resources can also be accessed such as videos, animations and weblinks.

For further information, or to obtain additional copies of the Guide, please call (02) 8272 2611, email marketing@provisual.com.au or visit www.provisual.com.au

For media enquiries or images please contact Deanna Davenport at Pro-Visual Publishing on (02) 8272 2611 or ddavenport@provisual.com.au

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