A safety alert is being issued over faulty truck drawbeams, drawbars and towbars.
The NZ Transport Agency says all towing connections fitted by Peter Wastney Engineering must be assessed for a new certification by a heavy vehicle specialist certifier (HVSC).
The agency is requiring the equipment be checked for signs of cracks “or other failures”.
Vehicles must be “discontinued immediately” if any signs are found, the NZTA says.
The warning comes after several recent failures have been identified in both drawbeams and drawbars certified by Peter Wastney Engineering.
NZTA says “independent reviews of those drawbeams and drawbars have identified that they were not adequately designed for the loads to which they had been certified”.
“The Transport Agency has investigated the failures of both drawbeams and drawbars and has enough reason to believe that the designs in general are significantly deficient to justify a reassessment to replace or re-certify.
“While the focus of this alert is primarily on towing connections, an inspection of all certifications (eg log bolsters, crane attachments, load anchors, chassis modifications, etc.) by Peter Wastney Engineering Ltd is also recommended in addition to the usual walk-around inspection,” the NZTA statement says.
The agency has been aware of the situation since late 2017 with the most recent failure reported in February 2018.
Peter Wastney Engineering has been contacted for comment.
