Best practice in packing cargo in shipping containers, restraining loads correctly, and safely transporting containers will be the focus at a series of eight seminars across Australia in October and November.
The Safe Container Loading & Transport Practices Seminars are being hosted by Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA), in collaboration with Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA), the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) and leading safety management company, CoRsafe.
The seminar series is also being staged in collaboration with a Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) on behalf of the Commonwealth Government.
Heavy vehicle accident data compiled by National Transport Insurance (NTI) shows that container-laden heavy vehicles are 36 per cent more likely to be involved in a truck rollover incident compared to vehicles carrying general freight.
A common factor in these incidents is vehicle instability caused by unbalanced or inadequately restrained loads inside shipping containers.
In most cases, heavy vehicle drivers have no prior knowledge of how the shipping container has been packed or how the cargo is secured, if at all.
Load-shift inside the container, an unbalanced load, or a high centre of gravity, can easily contribute to a heavy vehicle accident. These factors equally present risks to other transport modes, including rail, container terminal operations and onboard vessels.
Secured cargo with correct bracing and dunnage inside a shipping container. Image: CTAAVerified container weights are also an issue in the container transport logistics chain.
Unfortunately, cargo owners and container packers still mis-declare container weights, either innocently or deliberately. Overloaded containers present an unacceptable risk, and significant penalties now apply if these mis-declared containers are identified.
CTAA director, Neil Chambers, explained, “The aims of the seminars are to promote best practice in container packing and cargo restraint from a commercial and a safety standpoint, and to raise awareness of available best practice resources.
“One practical set of guidance to be showcased in the seminars is a Safe Container Loading & Transport Guide recently published by CoRsafe in partnership with CTAA.
“The Guide provides a concise explanation of the legal and practical obligations of stakeholders in the container logistics chain, including overseas suppliers and container packers. It is free of legal jargon for use by frontline staff.
“We are encouraging Australian companies to distribute the Guide to their overseas partners to provide an understanding of the standards they must meet when loading containers bound for Australia. Equally, we’d like Australian exporters to use the Guide and pass it onto their container packers and supply chain partners to promote best practice.”
A downloadable copy of the full-length Guide can be requested at logss.com.au/container-guide.
Attendees at the CTAA Seminars will gain first access to both a condensed version of the Guide and a version that has been translated into simplified Chinese for distribution to overseas suppliers.
“Back on the Seminars, we’ve gathered an impressive line-up of speakers and panelists, including:
• Regulatory representatives from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and WorkSafe authorities
• Container terminal representatives on container verified gross mass (VGM) misdeclarations (import & export) and container check weighing processes
• Chain of responsibility (CoR) experts
• Marine insurance specialists
• Cargo restraint experts
• Biosecurity and container cleanliness experts
• Road transport experts
• Telematics providers re smart on-board mass (OBM) developments
• Container triangulation – fit for purpose reuse and exchange
The seminar dates and locations are:
• BRISBANE: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
• TOOWOOMBA: Thursday, October 17, 2024
• SYDNEY: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
• MELBOURNE: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
• SHEPPARTON: Thursday, October 31, 2024
• WAGGA WAGGA: Friday, November 1, 2024
• PORT ADELAIDE: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
• FREMANTLE: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Seminar registrations are available online at ctaa.iwannaticket.com.au.
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