A pilot scheme organised by the Health and Safety Executive and VOSA has found that the majority of commercial vehicles do not meet basic standards for load security.

A series of spot checks on vans and lorries was carried out in March and April, backed up by a three-month round of inspections carried out in the North West at the beginning of the year.

The findings show that most commercial vehicle operators are not even complying with the basic set of standards laid out to cover load security issued by the Department for Transport.

VOSA will now continue with a programme of targeted spot-checks on vans and larger commercial vehicles.

It said a large number of LCVs and lorries are carrying loads in a dangerous manner, which could either lead to loads spilling on to the roads, or cause potential injuries to staff unloading vehicles at a depot if the load has become loose.

A spokesman for VOSA said: “Fatal and major accidents have occurred both on the road and in the workplace because loads have not been secured properly.

“Operationally the pilot was a success, with both agencies working well together. However the report of the pilot concluded that the standard of load securing was low and the majority of vehicles did not meet the basic standard required by the DfT Code.”

The main issues found during the pilot scheme were vehicles having either no or inadequate load security, straps in poor condition and goods not loaded on to the bulkhead.

As a result of the initial scheme, VOSA is to continue educating operators and drivers on the issue of load security. It will be handing out advice leaflets at its check sites and test stations, and will be highlighting the issue in its Moving On magazine.

The spokesman added: “Through the roadside checks both VOSA and HSE hope that this will help bring to the attention of the industry the dangers of load insecurity and that we will all see an improvement.”

The penalty for carrying an unsafe load can range from a verbal warning to a £60 fixed penalty notice. Drivers can also be issued with an immediate prohibition notice.

Author: Julian Kirk

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