Drug and fatigue management and workplace safety will top the agenda for Safety Culture Day, to be staged on 20 September as a major part of Freight Week 2007.
Senior government and industry figures will take part in two distinct workshop sessions dealing with fatigue management in the morning and drug management in the afternoon.
VTA CEO Philip Lovel says the workshops would highlight the many important safety initiatives in the industry, past, present and future.
“The Victorian transport industry can be proud of the many safety initiatives it has developed over the years to improved safety for the industry and community,” he says.
“Many of these initiatives could be applied nationally and will be showcased on Safety Culture Day, which will highlight the fact that our industry is safe, clean and efficient.”
Mr Lovel says the Fatigue Management Workshop would address the impact on the industry caused by major changes to National Fatigue Regulations due in September.
“There are stark differences between the proposed new laws and the existing Chain of Responsibility regulations governing mass, dimension and load restraint,” he says.
“The new laws will require a fundamental shift in operational practices and procedures, right across the supply chain, particularly for local short haul operators, and our workshop will focus on effective implementation for all in the industry.”
Fatigue Management Workshop speakers include Tim Eaton, General Manager Safety and Environment at the National Transport Commission and Noel Ashby, Assistant Commissioner (Traffic & Transport) with the Victoria Police.
The Drug Management Workshop will include representatives from Victoria Police, VicRoads and the freight industry in a panel discussion of drug testing in the workplace, on-road enforcement and Victorian initiatives.
A highlight of the day will be the launches of two important new VicRoads initiatives, the Fatigue Information Pack and Drug Information Kit.
Both initiatives feature a DVD and information pack, and will be launched by Dr Philip Swann, Manager Drugs, Fatigue & Alcohol at VicRoads.
Mr Lovel says Safety Culture Day is a positive industry initiative to address safety concerns across a very broad cross-section of the industry.
“It is not just for transport operators but for anyone involved in freight and logistics,” he says.