ATHABASCA — Athabasca and area residents looking to make a dump trip, or commercial units hauling equipment or material may be stopped by local enforcement for cargo securement inspections starting this week.
Town of Athabasca bylaw officer Kevin Rowan will be conducting education and enforcement inspections in town in partnership with Alberta Sheriffs. Rowan told town councillors during their Jan. 22 meeting that inspections will include vehicles hauling “everything from metal pipes right down to cardboard boxes.”
Rowan said the inspections will cover, “Making sure that the strapping is proper, making sure that the chains are on properly, all that kind of stuff.”
The first inspections will begin in late January and continue throughout the year, noted Rowan in a Jan. 27 follow-up email. He said features he and the sheriffs will be watching for include adherence to different rules of the road for different types of vehicles.
“For commercial vehicles, we will be looking for compliance of cargo securement legislation which includes the Cargo Securement Standard and Commercial Vehicle Safety Regulations,” wrote Rowan.
According to a 2021 cargo securement Alberta government module, cargo safety standards were created under the National Safety Code Standard 10, “To ensure the safety of drivers, employees, and the motoring public.” The standards lay out regulations such as the different types of cargo securement, the necessary type and condition of tie-down devices, and the proper number of anchor points per load weight.
“We will also be looking for compliance of passenger vehicles under the Vehicle Equipment Regulations,” said Rowan.
Under the “transporting goods” section of the Vehicle Equipment Regulation in the Traffic Safety Act, “a person shall not use a vehicle to transport goods unless the vehicle can be operated safely when loaded and without the danger of (ii) the load shifting, swaying, blowing off, falling off, leaking or otherwise escaping.”
“During all inspections, we will be on the lookout for proper number of tiedowns/straps for the load and proper type and number of chains appropriate for the load, while ensuring all securing devices are tight and in good working order,” said Rowan.
Drivers of vehicles selected for inspection will receive important information about how to properly secure a wide range of cargo loads in order to prevent potential safety pitfalls.
“If steps aren’t taken to ensure loads are secured for transport then articles may blow off, fall from, fall through or otherwise become dislodged from the vehicle creating dangerous situations for other motorists, and even damage to infrastructure,” wrote Rowan. “Loads that are not secured or secured improperly may shift within the vehicle adversely affecting the vehicles stability or maneuverability, creating a danger for motorists.”
Fines for commercial carrier cargo securement violations sit at $810, while penalties for passenger vehicles punch in at $486. For anyone looking to avoid a potential fee, or those looking to ensure the safety of their next loaded trip, Rowan shared a few tips for proper cargo securement.
“First, be knowledgeable. Confirm you know what is legally required for the load being transported and follow those guidelines. Second, check the loads regularly to confirm restraints are tight and loads haven’t shifted. And third, verify securement devices are in good working order and Working Load Limits are visible on the devices and not exceeded.”
