Transport

SECURING LOADS, SAFE LOAD RESTRAINT, ANTI SLIP, HIGH FRICTION, LOAD MATTING, NON SLIP, NON SKID

Every day large varying loads are being transported by truck, rail, sea or air. Safely securing the loads prior to transportation is vitally important in preventing injury to people and damage to property, let alone damage to the load itself.

During a journey, some loads can settle and shift and the lashings may loosen which causes a huge reduction in tension and potentially causing a serious accident. If a load is properly restrained it will not fall from a vehicle in normal driving circumstances, including the most severe braking, swerving and cornering.

Today, safe load restraint has become a priority for the transport industry. There are many regulated global standards, relating to these practises, with Australia following suit with its National Transport Commission’s (NTC) Load Restraint Guide (LRG) for Heavy Vehicles. The Load Restraint Guide ensures the basic safety principles that need to be adhered to, for the safe carriage of loads on road vehicles.

SAFE LOAD CHALLENGES

LOAD SHIFT: When moving, a vehicle and its load are subjected to forces caused by changes of speed, direction or slope. These forces are a result of braking, accelerating, cornering or travelling over cambered, undulating or uneven road surfaces with the addition of airflow.

A heavy load is just as likely to fall off as a light load. This is because the same ‘g’ forces are acting on both.

‘g’: The acceleration due to gravity is called ‘g’. It is equal to 9.81 metres/sec/sec. (Resource from NTC Load Restraint Guide)

Did you know? The braking force on the load is often higher at low speed than at high speed because the brakes may grab suddenly and cause the load to jar and loosen.

Product Suggestions: Load Mat – Premium, Load Mat 850 – Superior

INEFFECTIVE LOAD RESTRAINT: The types of load restraint equipment used in the transport industry are ropes, webbing strap, turnbuckles, short chains etc. These restraints might feel like the load is properly secured but the actual tension is low and is mostly ineffective for restraining loads particularly whilst in transit.

Generally the weight of the load alone, cannot provide enough friction to restrain it during normal driving. Additional restraints or load mats should be used to ensure minimal movement.

Product Suggestions: Load Mat – Premium, Load Mat 850 – Superior

LOW FRICTION IS HIGH RISK: Friction is the resistance to movement caused by the ‘roughness’ of two surfaces in contact with each other.

There are many factors that result in a load being at risk. For instance if the load is wet or greasy, or smooth steel is placed directly onto smooth steel, or smooth steel is placed onto rusty steel, all these scenarios result in only low to medium levels of friction.

Friction depends on the type of surfaces and the force between them,
low friction equals high risk.

Product Suggestions: Load Mat – Premium, Load Mat 850 – Superior

ROLLING AND SPEARING: Smooth steel rounded pipes have less top and bottom bonding surfaces and can be slippery. The hallow surfaces are difficult to restrain and can cause pipe rolling or spearing during transportation.

Product Suggestions: Load Mat – Premium, Load Mat 850 – Superior

Most Importantly: The onus of responsibility lies with the driver and the person in charge of loading the vehicle to ensure that a load is properly restrained.

Read more about our solutions Use Anti Slip Load Mat To Ensure Safe Load Restraint With Transportation here.