Held in September, the VTA’s bi-annual Freight Week gave Australia’s transport industry a forum to discuss the future of freight forwarding. For the first time ever, the Victorian Waste Management Association (VWMA) organised a dedicated waste management conference, and Trailer Magazine had a seat in the front row.
Both workplace safety and sustainability are becoming more and more important in Australia’s road transport industry, demanding a new level of regulation and guidance to ensure a safe work environment. Therefore it is no surprise that the VWMA took the opportunity to address the industry’s top management and release new guidance material for bulk bins.
“Poorly maintained bins are not only a bad advertisement for a business and the industry in general, but might also breach the law,” said VWMA Executive Officer, Andrew Tytherleigh. “Safety is a major factor when hauling loose construction material, dirt and rubble on the back of a truck. That’s why we saw an urgent need to create standardised guidance in close co-operation with the industry.”
In 2008, Worksafe first approached the VWMA to express concern about the condition of many bulk bins in the Melbourne area. “We decided to analyse the issue, and the industry’s response to contribute to the working party was excellent,” Andrew said. “Worksafe’s view was that industry developed guidance material was more likely to be accepted and adopted by us than having something imposed by them. And, without our members’ support and detailed knowledge, we would not have been able to produce such comprehensive and practical material.”
The bulk bin market is offering both industry and domestic clientele a vast variety of options to move large amounts of waste. But, to cater for a growing demand, both bin sizes and transport solutions vary notably. “While a hook lift is the most popular mechanism for lifting the bin onto the back of a truck, some in the industry also use chains and cables,” Andrew explained. “There is no one standard procedure.”
In addition, the bulk bin market is tough one, especially regarding the utilisation of equipment. Operating a bulk bin business has been a point of entry into the waste industry for many small businesses in Australia, and several have become very successful. And, because bins are a robust commodity, they generally have a long life and can be in circulation for a long time without seeing a depot. Therefore, wear and tear can become an issue when they are neglected or operators do not have a system in place to keep track of them. In addition, customers, too, can be very rough on them.
“In developing the guidance material, we identified three key issues,” said Andrew. “What was considered an industry standard in bin specification? What was an appropriate maintenance schedule? And, was there a standard operating procedure?”
To create a first data set, the VWMA conducted a survey of current bin designs to ascertain whether there was consistency in structural components. Based on the information gathered, a generic specification was developed for the three most common sizes. “These designs were independently computed by engineers to determine minimum standards of construction and the materials to be used,” Andrew explained.
“We then tried to condense our members’ tried and proven procedures to create systematic processes that will ensure that bins remain fit for purpose. For instance, we identified potential fail points and developed corresponding procedures to ensure that these problems can be identified and rectified quickly so that bins could be put back out in service.”
In addition, the issue of safe operation was addressed in the guidelines by utilising Worksafe’s proven hierarchy of controls. “Given that bins are moved around a city of people, squeezed down lanes and dropped off in shopping centre loading bays, controlling risk has to be addressed in a number of ways”, Tytherleigh said. “Managing the risk between the customer, the bin operator and the public is vital to ensure their continued safe operation.”
As a result, the guidance material was designed to be a practical document that provides information for industry leaders to review their current operations and benchmark against current best practice.
“VWMA members are committed to best practice principles, but these do not come cheaply”, Andrew concludes. “Unfortunately, there are operators who are able to offer cheap prices because they cut corners on safety and maintenance, but they do the industry a disservice. Our guidelines will hopefully assist in levelling the playing field and by focussing on safety raise standards right across the industry as a whole.”
For a copy of the guidance material contact the VWMA at www.vwma.com.au
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