Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that health and safety checks are carried out to ensure that all HGV lorries carry cargo that is properly secured.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) checks the security of loads on heavy goods vehicles (HGV) during roadside encounters as part of its enforcement duties, although the responsibility for making sure the load a HGV is carrying is secure before driving rests with the driver and operator.

If the DVSA finds a HGV’s load is unsafe during a roadside encounter, the DVSA (or the police) can take enforcement action. This can result in either penalty points, legal proceedings being issued or a report being sent to the Traffic Commissioner (TC). After consideration of a report from the DVSA, the TC may take regulatory action for failure to comply with the undertaking of an operator’s licence. Disciplinary action can include suspension, curtailment or revocation of an operator licence.

Drivers must conduct a daily walk round of their vehicle before starting a journey. They must also check any load is secure. These requirements are covered within the DVSA’s ‘Guide to maintaining roadworthiness’ which provides useful diagrams to fully explain drivers’ responsibilities and what should be checked during an effective walk round check.