Safe load securing remains a major concern in the transport industry globally, with rules on how to secure cargo safely differing from country to country. Putting safety first has become an international mantra which South Africa has also embraced, with more and more calls for safer load securing practices. According to Gavin Kelly, spokesman for the Road Freight Association (RFA), load securing in South Africa is problematic – not only because rules and standards are not enforceable but also because of the quality of load securing straps which don’t always stand the test of time. “South Africa has a firm set of standards in place and we are continuously looking at these documents to ensure they are consistent with the best in the world,” said Kelly. “The standards in place are very good but what is of concern is that often there is no way of enforcing these standards. Also, the quality of straps and other devices used in load securing is no longer tested as was the case in the past and there have been concerns around quality.” This comes as the International Road Transport Union (IRU) earlier this month published new international guidelines on safe load securing in an effort to bring about a more global approach. While the guidelines are primarily based on a European standard on load restraining on road vehicles, they also include other safe practices observed across the road transport industry not covered by European standards. Kelly said the industry locally would benefit from such guidelines even though South African standards were in place. In a statement the IRU said the aim of its guidelines was to enable all stakeholders in road transport operations anywhere in the world to correctly load and secure goods on vehicles. “If all stakeholders implement safe load securing practices from the outset, it will create sustainable improvements in transport operations and road safety standards internationally,” according to the IRU.
