Safety Management and Environmental Management
Proponents are required to demonstrate that their company manages safety and environmental outcomes to meet legal and industry standards by providing a summary of the structure and components of their company Work, Health and Safety management system (SMS) and Environmental Management System (EMS) or an equivalent quality assurance system for environmental performance.
It is expected that the SMS will comply with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and relevant codes of practice including the Code of Practice - Safety in Forest Harvesting Operations 2014, and as a minimum include the details set out in the Safe Work Australia Forestry Operations Guidance material. “PDF’s are downloadable from the Safe Work Australia link below:
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/doc/forestry-operations-guidance-material
The SMS must also recognise the extent to which the haulage and loading services are undertaken to meet the requirements of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) as it relates to Chain of Responsibility obligations.
It is expected that the EMS or quality assurance system for environmental performance will demonstrate that the Proponents business has procedures in place to ensure that haulage services are carried out in compliance with relevant legislation including the Plantation Re-Afforestation Act and best practice industry guidelines for haulage.
Shortlisted parties will be subject to a detailed 3rd party audit of their SMS and environmental systems to assess the adequacy of the Proponent’s management of safety, Chain of Responsibility and environmental obligations. Proponents should be prepared to provide electronic copies of all or parts of their SMS and EMS or equivalent in order to demonstrate the adequacy of their systems.
Financial
Proponents are required to demonstrate solvency and a financial capacity to undertake the nominated work within their proposed limits of their Proposal. Shortlisted proponents will be required to provide information including their last set of full financial accounts to a third party financial assessor nominated by FCNSW. FCNSW may seek to meet with the Proponent following completion of the financial assessment to discuss any issues that may arise.
Operational
Proponents are required to:
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provide a detailed description of the proposed haulage and/or loading systems for the quantity of work being proposed for; and
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show adequate log haulage, loading and/or contracting experience, including demonstrated management capacity to coordinate work to industry standards or alternatively submit a convincing plan that outlines how the proponent intends to transition into log haulage and or loading contracting.
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Comply with the operational constraints outlined in the Forest Practices Code: Timber harvesting in Forests NSW Plantations available online at:
https://www.forestrycorporation.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/457174/FNSW-ForestPracticesCode-2005.pdf
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Provide plans to utilise improvements in haulage technology and regulations (I.E A-double trailer configurations)
Forestry Log Haulage Registered Code of Practice (Log Haulage Code)
The Forestry Log Haulage Registered Code of Practice (Log Haulage Code) provides guidance to manage risks speci?c to forestry log haulage and comply with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and the National Transport Commission’s Load Restraint Guide (2018), which available via the following link https://www.ntc.gov.au/heavy-vehicles/safety/load-restraint-guide/
The Log Haulage Code is currently in draft; however, it is anticipated that during the term of the agreement(s) offered via this RFP that it will become operation and set the industry standard for forestry transport operations. For this reason, proponents must be familiar with the proposed requirements of draft Log Haulage Code and detail in their proposals how they will meet these. The draft Log Haulage Code is available via the following link http://www.afca.asn.au/log-haulage-code/draft-log-haulage-code
Mandatory Equipment and Requirements
As part of this RFP, the service agreements offered for haulage and loading require Mandatory Equipment. The list of Mandatory Equipment for haulage and loading is set out in Attachment One.
Haulage Requirement
In addition to Mandatory Equipment, it is a requirement of this RFP that the proponent’s fleet fulfilling this service agreement is accredited for the duration of the agreement’s term by the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) to operate (as a minimum) to Concessional Mass Limits (CML).
Loading Requirement
In addition to the Mandatory Equipment required for loading, FCNSW would welcome proposals that address the following unique challenges in log loading:
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Limited visibility of the loader operator over the top of the load.
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Terrain / infrastructure constraints (i.e. batter, gutters, etc.) that limit a loader’s reach from the roadside over the stockpile.
Variable product size and age requiring variable pinch pressure to avoid product breakage