APIA safety committee chairman Mark Twycross said the industry had decided to act to help ensure the safety of people working on construction sites after repeated appeals over the past few years to install electronic stability control devices - which greatly increase vehicle safety - on four-wheel drives fell on deaf ears.
"This important safety training day will primarily focus on four-wheel drive safety, including an in-depth look at the advantages of driving vehicles with ESC, over those that don't have the control and driver behaviour in off-road locations," Twycross said.
"APIA plans to take the Safety Field Day to other states over the next 12 to 18 months, and may ultimately introduce a formal APIA Training Centre for specialised off-road driving instruction.
"At the moment, most companies offer this kind of training at the start of their individual projects, but we hope to introduce an industry-wide accreditation program to harmonise this training."
He added that adverse conditions in remote locations and the tendency of some drivers to exceed their capabilities meant the pipeline industry continually faced the threat of roll-over accidents.
"While this will always be a risk, we have an opportunity to introduce measures to manage the risk, and we will work with pipeline owners and constructors, with vehicle manufacturers, and with state and federal authorities to improve safety," he said.
"Throughout every sector of the Australian pipeline industry, health and safety is of paramount importance.
"Strong and effective safety procedures equate to good business, and over recent years APIA has been proactive in reinforcing this message to the broader industry."
Leading road safety experts will provide advice and guidance to APIA members at the Safety Field Day, on Thursday, June 5, at the Melbourne 4X4 Training & Proving Ground at Werribee.
Participants will also have an opportunity to test-drive four-wheel drive vehicles, study accident avoidance techniques, and learn how to integrate safety considerations into their fleet purchasing and equipping practices.
About 80 industry representatives are expected to attend the Safety Field Day.
