FTA will work with TRL on van load retention
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THE SAFETY OF vans and the safe securing of loads and equipment will be the subject of a Freight Transport Association (FTA) research project.
Consultant TRL will work with the PTA to establish best practice for load retention.
The best-practice guide will also consider the typical forces experienced by the vehicle and its load, including racking, in the event of a collision.
The PTA says there is a need for clarification on loading because the long-standing code of practice issued by the Department for Transport (DfT) on safe loading can no longer be relied upon by operators. Some enforcement agencies simply say that loads must remain in position while in transit, while others have decided that loads must not move in relation to the vehicle in any incident, irrespective of its severity and the deceleration forces involved.
The current D ET guidance states that loads should only have to withstand forces of up to 1G.
Paul Wood, managing director of VLS and a member of the PTA's Utilities Working Group, explains that the research will help establish what can be relied upon as good practice in load retention and vehicle construction.