An updated National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual (NHVIM) has been released.
The manual provides authorised officers and industry with consistent criteria for heavy vehicle inspections and should improve vehicle standards compliance.
This single set of uniform standards, in theory, should overcome the frustration of enforcement officers applying different standards in different states and territories.
It applies to all vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) or aggregate trailer mass (ATM) greater than 4.5 tonnes.
The NHVIM was launched in Adelaide yesterday by South Australia transport and infrastructure minister, Stephen Mullighan, who said it paved the way for a consistent national approach to heavy vehicle inspections and was a foundation towards improvement in safety across the heavy vehicle industry.
“The importance of this manual can’t be overstated – it will provide a single roadworthiness reference for both authorised officers as well as heavy vehicle operators. The manual is the first stage in developing a single national approach to heavy vehicle roadworthiness,” he said.
The manual details practical information about wear, damage or change to important components and systems for in-service inspections by owners, operators and administrators in each state and territory.
The NHVIM is part of the National Heavy Vehicle Roadworthiness Program which seeks to implement nationally-consistent standards for the conduct of inspections, the skills of inspectors, the criteria against which components or sub-systems are inspected, and the management and clearance of defects.
All participating states and territories – including Victoria and Tasmania – will adopt the NHVIM into their inspection regimes by 1 July 2016.