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Ontario has adopted by reference National Safety Code (NSC) Standard 10, Cargo Securement. NSC Standard 10 may be obtained from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators at http://tinyurl.com/nsc10cargo.
NSC Standard 10 was updated effective June 2013 to require friction mats to be marked by the manufacturer with the maximum usable friction resistance (if the mats are to be considered part of a cargo securement system), to add proper securement requirements for transverse rows of metal coils, and to correct a difference between the requirements in the standard and the current designs of integral locking devices on intermodal containers.
Every commercial motor vehicle carrying a load on highway must be in compliance with NSC Standard 10, Part 1, Divisions 3 and 4.
Tiedowns or securing devices that are marked by the manufacturer are deemed to have a working load limit determined according to NSC Standard 10.
A tiedown or securing device that is not marked by its manufacturer is deemed to have a working load limit equal to zero.
A vehicle carrying a load on a highway under the authority of an overdimensional/overweight permit that contains load securement requirements that conflict with any requirements of Ontario’s load securement regulations must be in compliance with the permit requirements and not with the conflicting requirements of the regulations.
Commercial motor vehicles greater than 4,500 kilograms
The following requirements apply to commercial motor vehicles having a gross vehicle weight, registered gross weight, gross vehicle weight rating, or gross combination weight rating exceeding 4,500 kilograms.
Every commercial vehicle carrying a load on a highway must comply with Part 1 of NSC Standard 10 and drivers of commercial vehicles must inspect the vehicle according to that Part. If a commercial vehicle is carrying a load described in Part 2, Division 1-9 of the standard must comply with that Part.
Section 9 of NSC Standard 10 does not apply to:
- A vehicle carrying a load that, because of its size, shape or weight, must be carried on a special-purpose vehicle or must be fastened by special methods, if the load is securely and adequately fastened to the vehicle; or
- A motor vehicle or road-building machine operated by or on behalf of an authority having jurisdiction and control of a highway while the vehicle or machine is engaged in construction, maintenance or marking activities.
Commercial motor vehicles of 4,500 kilograms or less
The following requirements apply to commercial motor vehicles for which the gross vehicle weight, registered gross weight, gross vehicle weight rating, and gross combination weight rating is 4,500 kilograms or less.
A load carried on a commercial motor vehicle on a highway must be secured by means of:
- Sides, sideboards or stakes and rear stakes, endgate or endboard that, are securely attached to the vehicle, are strong enough and high enough to ensure that the load will not shift on or fall from the vehicle, and have no opening large enough to permit any of the load to pass through;
- At least one tiedown that meets the requirements National Safety Code Standard 10, Part I, Divisions 3 and 4, for each 3.04 linear metres of lading or fraction thereof, and as many additional tiedowns that meet those requirements as are necessary to secure each part of the load, either by direct contact between the load and the tiedown or by contact between the load and dunnage; or
- Any other means that prevents a load from shifting or falling that is similar to and at least as effective as the means specified above.
A tiedown or dunnage in contact with exterior, topmost items of a load and securely holding each interior and lower item shall be deemed to comply with the requirements for contact in item 2 above.
If the load may shift in transit, the load must be blocked, restrained or contained in such a manner that it will not shift in a forward direction when the vehicle decelerates at a rate of six metres per second per second or more and must be securely blocked or braced against the sides, sideboards or stakes of the vehicle secured by devices that conform to items 2 or 3 above.
These requirements do not apply to:
- A vehicle carrying a load that, because of its size, shape or weight, must be carried on a special-purpose vehicle or must be fastened by special methods, if the load is securely and adequately fastened to the vehicle; or
- A motor vehicle or road-building machine operated by or on behalf of an authority having jurisdiction and control of a highway while the vehicle or machine is engaged in construction, maintenance or marking activities.
Tiedowns
The working load limit of a tiedown shall be deemed to be the working load limit of its weakest component. The strength of anchor points must be at least as strong as the tiedown when the connector is loaded in any direction in which the tiedown may load it. A tiedown must not be used if it has knots, it stretches, deforms, or has wear or damage beyond the limits specified by the manufacturer, or if it has been repaired or shortened.
If an “over-the-centre” type of tiedown tensioner is used, the handle must be locked in place and secured by an adequate secondary means to prevent accidental release. Except in the case of steel, fibre, or synthetic strapping that is permanently crimped, tiedowns used on a commercial motor vehicle to secure the load against movement in any direction must be designed, constructed, and maintained so that the driver of the vehicle can tighten the tiedown in transit.
Materials used for load securement
Materials used on or in a vehicle as dunnage, chocks, or cradles or for blocking or bracing must be strong enough that they will not be split or crushed by the load or the tiedowns.
Covering of loads
The portion of the load that is not enclosed by the vehicle or load container must be covered with a tarpaulin, canvas, netting, or other material capable of confining the load within the vehicle container or load container, if a commercial motor vehicle or a combination of a commercial motor vehicle and trailer or trailers is being operated on a highway and is carrying a load that is:
- Sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, salt or any mixture thereof, where such substances are in the form of particles of up to 1½ inches in diameter;
- Waste; or
- Shredded scrap metal.
This requirement does not apply if the commercial motor vehicle and/or combination is being operated to:
- Apply sand and/or salt, a sand and/ or salt mixture, or any similar substance to the highway for the purpose of winter highway maintenance;
- Collect waste;
- Carry waste if the vehicle does not have a gross weight or registered gross weight exceeding 10,000 pounds;
- Carry non-waste if the vehicle does not have a gross weight or registered gross weight in excess of 18,000 pounds;
- Carry sand, gravel, crushed stone, or slag, of which no less than 90 percent is clear aggregate, where the highest point of the load does not extend above the top of the vehicle container or load container, and the perimeters of the load are not less than 12 inches beneath the top of the vehicle container or load container;
- Carry sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, salt, or any mixture thereof in December, January, February, or March where the highest point of the load does not extend above the top of the vehicle container or load container, and the perimeters of the load are no less than 12 inches beneath the top of the vehicle container or load container;
- Carry agricultural products if the vehicle is owned by a farmer;
- Transport an untreated gravel or crushed stone surface, an earth surface, or a surface treated solely for dust abatement purposes;
- Proceed across a highway in order to proceed on a highway to transport untreated gravel or crushed stone surface, earth surface, or a surface treated solely for dust abatement, or in proceeding across a highway in order to enter onto private property abutting the highway; or
- Proceed within the limits of a highway construction contract.
Law
Highway Traffic Act
Regulation
363/04 (Security of Loads), 577 (Covering of Loads)