The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has today launched a new online and hardcopy newsletter, ‘Strengthening the Supply Chain’, to provide up-to-date and practical information on issues of supply chain safety and compliance.
ALC managing director Michael Kilgariff said the newsletter would raise awareness about obligations under Chain of Responsibility (CoR) legislation and how changes in the law may affect companies' operations.
“Quite simply, companies cannot ‘contract out’ their CoR obligations, no matter what their industry sector or part of the supply chain, so it is important they fully understand their regulatory obligations,” Kilgariff said.
“As an industry, there needs to be greater effort to ensure all supply chain participants meet their obligations under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, such as those relating to speeding, fatigue, dimension, mass limits and load securing.
“Achieving greater levels of legislative compliance across these five critical areas, based on increased education and awareness-raising, are the keys to improving heavy vehicle safety.”
Kilgariff said the newsletter will be distributed to the Chairs, CEOs and supply chain managers of Australia’s top 2000 ASX companies and top 500 private companies.
“The newsletter stresses that Chain of Responsibility is an issue which effects not just logistics organisations, but businesses up and down the supply chain,” he said.
“For example, a potential breach under CoR laws includes the responsibility of a retailer and its directors for speeding if its contractual arrangements mean that vehicles need to speed to comply with delivery schedules.
“It makes the fundamental point that if an organisation consigns, packs, loads or receives goods as part of their business, it could be held legally liable for breaches of road transport laws.
“At stake are civil and criminal liabilities, as well as reputation damage.”
The newsletter will also provide an update on a number of important regulatory issues, including a review of Chain of Responsibility duties in the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
This initiative is one of the actions of the 2014 ALC Supply Chain and Safety Compliance Summit, where participants agreed on the need to increase Chain of Responsibility awareness.
Issues covered in the first edition include explaining Chain of Responsibility; the ALC National Logistics Safety Code of Practice; possible regulatory changes and the ALC Supply Chain and Safety Compliance Summit.
Image: ATN