Australia's National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has announced the commencement of a targeted operation to improve heavy vehicle safety within the construction industry.

The operation will focus on mechanical safety and adherence to mass, dimension, and loading regulations.

NHVR chief operations officer Paul Salvati revealed that the operation is set to begin this month and will span four weeks, covering New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory, and Tasmania.

Salvati added: “Throughout the operation, we will prioritise education in the first instance to ensure operators and drivers have a clear understanding of the risks associated with non-compliance during heavy vehicle transport activities in the construction industry, and know how to manage them.”

During a similar operation conducted from 01 March 2023 to 15 April 2023, NHVR on-road officers inspected more than 1,200 vehicles.

The operation yielded positive results, with 56.4% of heavy construction vehicles meeting compliance standards across all Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) categories. Mass and loading compliance rates were particularly high.

However, Salvati noted that the mechanical compliance results highlighted areas needing improvement.

"The results in the mechanical compliance category were indicative of the work we still have to do.

“Of the defective components identified, the most serious were in brakes, body and chassis, while others were found in lights and reflectors,” Salvati added.