IRU adopts resolution to protect drivers against the negative health effects of the increased and repeated use of X-ray technology during truck inspections.

Geneva – As border, port and other inspection authorities increasingly and repeatedly use non-intrusive inspection (“X-ray”) technology to generate interior images of commercial vehicles, the IRU Goods Transport Council adopted a Resolution on the use of X-ray equipment for inspecting vehicles, aiming to protect drivers from any possible negative health effects of X-ray machines.

The IRU Resolution urgently calls upon governmental authorities to: guarantee that X-ray technologies and machines used have no negative consequences for the driver’s health nor leave residue that may negatively impact the driver on the long-term; harmonise control procedures; ensure regular technical inspections and proper maintenance of X-ray machines; as well as make information duly available on control procedures, technology, norms and harm prevention measures.

X-ray scans, which are used to reveal contraband as well as the presence of illegal immigrants on board, are considered by inspection authorities as an efficient complement to their cumbersome manual checks. However, unharmonised control procedures and scanning equipment used by different countries, coupled with the absence of mutual recognition of vehicle inspections leads to the situation where.

Moreover, no preventive measures to protect the drivers are available, and no information on control procedures and on the impact of x-ray inspections on the health of drivers is accessible.

IRU Vice President and President of the Goods Transport Council, Pere Padrosa, said, “The road transport sectors is 100% dependent on the services of skilled and motivated drivers. This said, for them to perform to the top of their ability, we must ensure that they work in a healthy environment. It is urgent to streamline non-harmonised and redundant inspections currently conducted to the detriment of drivers’ health. Governments have an indisputable role and responsibility in that respect.”

The IRU Resolution calls on governments to put in place preventive measures to ensure that drivers are at a sufficient distance from their vehicles during scanning in order to prevent any health damage, as well as to introduce a certificate of mutual recognition of vehicle inspections in order to limit their number by national authorities from different countries.

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Read the IRU Resolution on limiting the health and safety risks of x-ray vehicle inspection technology for commercial vehicle drivers

Press contact: Juliette Ebélé, +41 22 918 27 07, press@iru.org