In a Workshop Held in Asharqia Chamber Yesterday,

"SASO" Stresses Compliance with Technical Regulation on Truck Under-Run Protective Devices

       The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) has stressed the importance of compliance with the technical regulation for front, rear and side under-run protective devices for trucks, trailers and semi-trailers. The technical regulation has been enforced at the beginning of this year to reduce accidents and protect life and property. SASO warned that certain penalties will be applied to violators by SASO and the regulatory authorities implementing the regulation.  

       This came in a workshop to introduce the regulation organized by SASO, in collaboration with Alsharqiya Chamber on Wednesday 09/05/2018. In his opening speech, the Director General of SASO's branch in the Eastern Province dr.Tamis Al-Hammadi said that SASO always seeks to preserve and protect consumer health, as one of the main elements defined by its Statute and adopted strategy. As an implementation of that, this regulation came to protect life and property from painful accidents which we witness in our streets and public roads continuously and which occur, unfortunately, due to the lack of these under-run protective devices causing small cars to go under those trucks and trailers. He pointed out that the application of this regulation and related specifications was done in stages until mandatory application was reached on 01/01/2018. Moreover, he noted the importance of everyone's commitment to apply the regulation to contribute to reducing the damage of accidents and preserve national property.

       In the same vein, a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Logistics Committee in Alsharqiya Chamber, Bandar bin Rafi Al-Jabri, said in his speech that at least 560 thousand trucks roam the Kingdom's roads, from the east to the west, and grow at an annual rate of 8.4%. This necessitates the adherence to safety means in heavy transport vehicles such as trucks and trailers as they are not only related to transport companies, but to the society as a whole. He stressed the importance of adhering to regulations, requirements and technical specifications necessary for the installation of rear, front or side under-run protective devices in trucks, to reduce clashes between trucks and small vehicles. He stressed the need to raise public awareness among owners and drivers of vehicles on the importance of safety means on the road and the importance of compliance with standards and technical regulations issued by SASO.

       ​For his part, Yazid bin Ali Al-Faraj, the Director of Conformity Department at SASO, said that the regulations set by SASO bear humanitarian, environmental and economic objectives. Under this context is the technical regulation for front, rear and side under-run protective devices of trucks and trailers, which aims to identify basic requirements and determine conformity assessment procedures that suppliers must comply with, in order to ensure the conformity of this product and maintain the health and safety of road users. This regulation applies to front, rear and side under-run protective devices for trucks, trailers and semi-trailers with a maximum weight of 5.3 tons. The regulation does not include trucks and trailers used away from roads, military trucks, and trucks designed for specific purposes where such under-run protective devices cannot be installed.

       Furthermore, he mentioned that the regulation stipulated several obligations on the local supplier or factory; the factory should be licensed by concerned bodies to practice its activities, and the manufacturer should cooperate with SASO and regulatory bodies implementing the regulations and certify that all information presented to SASO is correct. In addition the obligations included documenting the manufacture and installation of truck under-run protective devices; documenting the job description and training plans; measuring the efficiency of the personnel; providing the necessary equipment for all types of operations and ensuring their suitability. Also, they included verifying the compliance of the devices with the requirements of the technical regulation and ensuring health, hygiene and occupational safety.

       He said that regulatory bodies should verify that the protective devices meet the specific conformity assessment procedures and the technical documents attached with dispatches at checkpoints and factories. He added that periodic inspection centers should check the protective devices during the (periodic) inspection of trucks, trailers and semi-trailers, and ensure that protective devices have a registration number, in accordance with the provisions of the regulation and other existing laws in the Kingdom. On the other hand, the departments of traffic and road safety should verify the presence of front, rear and side under-run protective devices in trucks, trailers and semi-trailers as they travel on public roads, in accordance with established regulations and procedures. Moreover, licensing bodies are obliged not to grant or renew traffic licenses until under-run protective devices are installed, in accordance with the established regulations and procedures.

       About violations and penalties, Al-Faraj said: "The manufacture, import and advertisement of front, rear, and side protective devices and trailers that do not conform with the regulation is prohibited. In case of any violation in this regard, SASO shall take necessary measures, including cancellation of the registration and relevant conformity certificate. Such violations will be announced and necessary measures will be taken with the issuer of the certificate. Regulatory bodies shall take all procedures according to each case."

       For his part, the Director of the Department of Conformity Certificates at SASO, Ali Al-Harbi reviewed the mechanism of obtaining conformity certificates through SASO's electronic portal. He pointed out that the required information is different whether the provider imports or is a local factory, as there are certain rules that should be observed by the provider. Moreover, he pointed out the importance of communicating with the manufacturers of these devices, only the ones registered with SASO, according to the list posted on SASO's website to ensure the manufacture and installation of under-run protective devices in a proper way that conforms with the provisions of the regulation to avoid fines and penalties.

       The workshop concluded with a discussion session that lasted for about an hour during which many questions and queries were raised and answered by the workshop speakers and supervisors of participating regulation bodies.