25 September 2014
A road safety initiative has been launched to encourage lorry and tipper truck drivers to secure their loads more carefully.
Representatives from the Comité des Connétables and various government bodies, including the Honorary and States police, recently met to work out how best to tackle reports of insecure and dangerous loads on vehicles.
If hauliers don't secure or cover their vehicle load correctly, the contents, such as sand or demolition waste, can blow away and become a hazard to other road users.
Make loads safe
All operators that carry goods or waste on their vehicles are being urged to ensure their drivers are trained and know the right way to secure all the material their vehicles may carry. For skip and tipper lorries this is likely to include a tarpaulin. The drivers should also be given enough time to make their loads safe.
Director of Health and Safety Tammy Fage said "Each method of applying sheeting or securing a load should be risk assessed. It is never acceptable to stand or walk on the load, but there are a range of methods of sheeting and securing loads which can eliminate or adequately control the associated risks, one of which should be adopted."
If drivers are stopped for insecure loads, the police will give them advice, but hauliers also face having their vehicles taken off the road until the load is made safe.
Road safety initiative
St Peter Connétable John Refault commented "This is predominantly a road safety issue, but when materials fall from vehicles they litter the countryside and spoil the natural beauty of Jersey.
"By working together like this I am hopeful that we can bring about a change in culture of those operators who see complying with the law as an optional extra rather than good practice to the benefit of all."
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