FTA Presentation - Load Securing - IOSH Safety Event Sept 13 123 PDF

Load Securing for Road Transport
Andy Mair – Head of Engineering, FTA

Load Securing
• Why load securing is important
• The legislation
• VOSA and HSE pilots
• Principles and physics of load securing
• DfT & EC requirements and Codes of Practice
• BS & EN Standards
• VOSA enforcement
Load Security ???
why is securing loads important?

1. to ensure that:
Load remains on the vehicle whilst on the road

2. to ensure that:
Vehicle stability is not compromised

3. to ensure that:
Load does not present hazard when

loading/unloading
And…………it’s the law..!! – C&U
‘The load carried by a motor vehicle or trailer shall at all times

be so secured, if necessary by physical restraint other
than its own weight, and be in such a position, that neither
danger nor nuisance is likely to be caused to any person
or property by reason of the load or any part thereof falling
or being blown from the vehicle or by reason of any other
movement of the load or any part thereof in relation to the
vehicle.’
The Road Traffic Act
‘A person is also guilty of using a vehicle in a dangerous

condition if he uses, or causes or permits another to use,
a motor vehicle or trailer on a road when the purpose for
which it is used or the weight position or distribution of its
loads, or the manner in which it is secured is such that the
use of the motor vehicle or trailer involves a danger of
injury to any person.’
Which means…
both the driver and the operator of the vehicle could
be liable in the event of an insecure load
HSE & VOSA focus
• HSE & VOSA campaign 2010
• Awareness
• Importance
HSE & VOSA roadside checks
HSE published the findings of the 2010 campaign:
1. Overall the standard of load securing observed was low
• majority of vehicles examined did not meet the basic standard set out in the DfT Code
of Practice
• Issues were most commonly identified with flatbed and curtain-sided vehicles
2. Most common reasons for concern

• inadequate load securing
• not loading to the bulkhead
• unstable loads
• condition of webbing straps
3. Relying on friction to secure a load, endangers the driver of the vehicle, other road
users and pedestrians, and anyone involved in or in the vicinity of unloading the vehicle.
Friction alone is not adequate
Consider the following analogies
• Seat belts / child restraints
a passenger in a car will move independently

if they don‟t put their seatbelt on
as will an item on a vehicle or trailer

if not secured
Analogies…cont
• Coffee on the move…?
– Would you drive with the lid off?
– How is it secured in the car?

Analogies…cont…containment & restraint
Riding on a bus
Passengers are „contained‟ within the bus
Similarly
Loads are „contained‟ within the body
Standing passengers „hold on‟
The rail / strap is a form of „restraint‟

The weight will hold it….
Sir Isaac Newton’s laws
• when objects are in motion, they

will continue to move in the same
direction and at the same speed unless
some other force acts upon them to retard
or stop their movement.
• Those forces could be vehicle structure,

restraints etc..
Load restraint / containment
Load restraint Load containment – preventing

• Preventing load moving relative loads from falling from the vehicle –
to the vehicle is not the same as load restraint
The load securing system
• If the load is in contact with the headboard, or blocked,

the headboard can be considered part of the „system‟
• Otherwise, the load must be secured as if the

headboard was not there
(this is not practical for most heavy loads)
• Contact with the headboard or otherwise

blocking is critical for heavy loads
Contact with headboard is critical
The load securing system
Securing a load for transport is normally achieved through
a combination of:
• the vehicle structure (the headboard and any side walls)
• lashings (webbing or chain)
• blocking, dunnage, chocks, cradles etc
Curtains…
Even if the curtain stops the load falling, load shift can still occur
Curtains…
Restraint methods
Shrinkwrap is not load restraint equipment !

Standard roof mounted straps
Not generally considered adequate load restraint

Load restraint equipment
DfT code of practice
combined strength of the load restraint system

must be sufficient to withstand a force
• 1g of load in forward direction

• 0.5g to the side
• 0.5g to the rear
EU guidelines side/rear - same
‘But my trailers are EN12642 XL…’

BS EN 12642
EU standard for commercial vehicle

and trailer body construction
• 2 standards - „L‟ or „XL‟
EC best practice guidance

• Body structures should be based
on EN 12642
Vehicles & trailers in the UK do not have

to be built to the Standard
BS EN 12642-L
BS EN 12642 -L
Box body – side Curtain

BS EN 12642 -XL
XL curtains
• 40% payload
EN 12642 XL
Caution !!
• XL standard is for the complete 40%

structure
• Can withstand 40% payload IF:

– Sliding-friction coefficient of minimum μD = 0.3
– Positive loading in the direction of travel
– Loading width minimum 2.4m
– Max. permitted separation load/rear wall 150mm
(above = typical requirements)

VOSA – ‘focused approach’
• Load securing MATRIX

– Guidance for examiners
– Vehicle & body types
– Different load types
– Method of load securing
– Action – Prohibition / Advice
– Gradual training roll-out
Already complying with C&U?

- will see no difference
‘REASONABLE ATTEMPT’
Summary
• Loads should be secured so that they do not move relative
to the vehicle bed during transit
• Loads should be placed against the headboard. If this is

not possible, the gap to the headboard should be filled
with blocking or an intermediate bulkhead could be used
• Curtains are generally not suitable for load restraint
• Load restraint equipment should be appropriately rated for

the load it has to restrain and in good condition.
• The key to load security is adequate risk assessment by

someone competent to do so
Assess the risk
When assessing a vehicle,

the question should be “what
if…?”
What is physically preventing

it moving or from falling off
the vehicle?
C&U.. neither danger nor

nuisance
is likely to be caused
Guidance is available
Thank you

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Load Securing for Road Transport

Andy Mair – Head of Engineering, FTA

• VOSA and HSE pilots

• Principles and physics of load securing

• DfT & EC requirements and Codes of Practice

why is securing loads important?

Load remains on the vehicle whilst on the road

Vehicle stability is not compromised

Load does not present hazard when

‘The load carried by a motor vehicle or trailer shall at all times

‘A person is also guilty of using a vehicle in a dangerous

• HSE & VOSA campaign 2010

HSE published the findings of the 2010 campaign:

1. Overall the standard of load securing observed was low

2. Most common reasons for concern

Consider the following analogies

• Seat belts / child restraints

a passenger in a car will move independently

as will an item on a vehicle or trailer

• Coffee on the move…?

– Would you drive with the lid off?

– How is it secured in the car?

Passengers are „contained‟ within the bus

Loads are „contained‟ within the body

Standing passengers „hold on‟

The rail / strap is a form of „restraint‟

Sir Isaac Newton’s laws

• when objects are in motion, they

• Those forces could be vehicle structure,

Load restraint Load containment – preventing

• If the load is in contact with the headboard, or blocked,

• Otherwise, the load must be secured as if the

• Contact with the headboard or otherwise

Shrinkwrap is not load restraint equipment !

Not generally considered adequate load restraint

combined strength of the load restraint system

• 1g of load in forward direction

EU guidelines side/rear - same

‘But my trailers are EN12642 XL…’

EU standard for commercial vehicle

EC best practice guidance

Vehicles & trailers in the UK do not have

Box body – side Curtain

• XL standard is for the complete 40%

• Can withstand 40% payload IF:

(above = typical requirements)

• Load securing MATRIX

Already complying with C&U?

• Loads should be placed against the headboard. If this is

• Curtains are generally not suitable for load restraint

• Load restraint equipment should be appropriately rated for

• The key to load security is adequate risk assessment by

When assessing a vehicle,

What is physically preventing

C&U.. neither danger nor

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