Safety and load securing

What happens during braking and impact

During hard braking every loose object in the vehicle starts to move forward at the speed of the vehicle. The force with which an object hits whatever stands in its way is many times its own weight. It must be stopped either by a solid structure, or by a bulkhead, or by whatever is between the cargo and the cab, which is often the driver. That is why load securing is done not only for the cargo but above all for the people in the vehicle.

In practice, load securing principles are calculated according to the direction in which the force acts. The cargo is subject to the greatest force forwards during braking, somewhat less rearwards on pulling away and sideways in bends. Each direction is secured separately. A fit-out must withstand all three at the same time and must not work loose after repeated stress.

Form-fit and force-fit securing

Cargo can be secured in two basic ways. Form-fit securing means that an item rests against a solid obstacle, for example the bottom and sides of a box or a bulkhead, so it has nowhere to move. Force-fit securing presses the cargo down to the floor with straps, nets or tie-down straps, so it is held by friction. A fit-out is primarily form-fit securing: every item has its own compartment. Where form cannot be used, straps, nets and clips come into play.

The most common mistake: small items loose in open compartments

A well-made shelving unit does not yet mean a safe vehicle. The most common mistake is that heavy items are secured while light small items lie loose in open compartments. A light item also flies in an impact, and even a small item is dangerous. The right solution is to close the compartments, give them doors, flip-up fronts, straps or rubber bands, or to use boxes with lids. With us every box is pushed into a pull-out which, once pushed in, is locked by a spring catch, and open shelves are dealt with by a front or a barrier.

Cases, crates and long objects

Cases and crates must stay where they lie. This is prevented by the shape of the shelf, stops, clips and, where needed, hold-down straps. Long objects such as pipes, battens or ladders have their own holders and should be fixed at both ends so that they cannot start to swing. A roof load is secured separately on the roof rack.

Bulkhead between the cab and the cargo area

A bulkhead is the last barrier protecting the driver and passenger from cargo shifting. It is all the more suitable the heavier and more solid the items you carry. In many assemblies the bulkhead can be connected to the fit-out so that it forms a single unit with the shelving units.

What the law and standards say about load securing

The Czech Act on Road Traffic imposes an obligation on the driver and the consignor: the load must be placed and fixed so that the stability and manoeuvrability of the vehicle are ensured and so that it does not endanger road safety. This also applies to the devices used to fix and protect the load. The Act does not prescribe any specific standard. The obligation is general and result-based: the load simply must not move and must not endanger anyone.

For vans there is the international standard ISO 27956, which describes requirements and test methods for load securing in vans up to a certain weight, i.e. for commercial vehicles of categories N1 and N2. It deals mainly with the partition between the cab and the cargo area and with anchor (lashing) points. For vans derived from passenger cars, only the requirements for the partition system apply from it. The standard is voluntary and Czech law contains no reference to it. It assumes that extreme loads in a vehicle accident lie outside its scope.

Tests of shelving systems are also carried out voluntarily by some manufacturers and test houses, using various methods and with various loads. There is no single binding regulation for testing a shelving unit in an N1 van. What follows from this for you as a customer: the words “crash test” or “tested” are not in themselves a guarantee. It always depends on what the test was based on, with what load, and whether the test applies to the same assembly that you are buying. That is why it pays to ask suppliers which specific protocol applies to their solution.

What to ask a fit-out supplier

• What was the assembly tested to, when, and who carried out the test?
• Does the test apply to the assembly I am ordering, or only to the basic element?
• How is the fit-out anchored to the body and how is the anchoring checked?
• How is the securing of small items in open compartments handled?
• What should be done after emergency braking or an accident, and what checks does the manufacturer recommend?
• How is the fit-out entered in the vehicle technical certificate and who arranges it?