VicRoads and the Victorian Road Freight Advisory Council will host a series of five free safety forums for those in the transport industry as part of Freight 2011.
VicRoads, WorkSafe, VRFAC and industry experts will advice on how to make your organisation and our roads safer and more efficient.
“Victoria’s 2010 total road toll was 287 and crashes where trucks were involved accounted for 60 deaths which represents 21 percent of all fatalities for this period,” said Philip Lovel AM, CEO of the Victorian Transport Association.
“This is an increase of 20 fatalities, 50 percent, compared to the previous 12-month period. Overall fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles have declined significantly in the past two decades – but more needs to be done.”
VicRoads Director Vehicle Management and Safety, Don Hogben said heavy vehicles made a significant contribution to the economy and Victoria’s liveability through the transport of goods via the road network.
“We need to make sure that all vehicles are sharing the roads safely and VicRoads is committed to working with the transport industry and the community to reduce the incidence of crashes involving heavy vehicles,” he said.
“Knowledge and education are key components in ensuring that when vehicles are used on the roads, they are safe for use and used in a safe manner,” said Mr. Hogben.
The safety forums will bring road and workplace safety awareness to regional communities where many serious heavy vehicle crashes are happening on high-speed rural roads.
Mr Lovel commented that “it is not only road statistics that are a concern for the transport industry, with WorkSafe reporting that manual handling injuries are the largest category of claims for truck drivers and are costing millions of dollars in claims.”
The free forums will run from 9am to 12.15pm (light lunch included) and include information on:
• Road safety reforms
• WorkSafe update
• Drugs and alcohol in the workplace
• Local safety programs
• Latest developments in safer vehicles
The forums will be held at the following locations:
Mildura – 30 June 2011
Bendigo – 14 July 2011
Bairnsdale – 28 July 2011
Warrnambool – 18 August 2011
Melbourne – 25 August 2011
To attend, or for more information, visit www.freightweek.com.au or www.vta.com.au or call the VTA reception on 03 9646 8590.