Weekly incident summary now available

Recommendations to industry: Mines must consider roadway design when developing transport rules. Passing of vehicles in underground roadways should only be completed after considering roadway width, machine size and surrounding infrastructure.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 0034699

Summary: An unplanned movement occurred on a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP) at a coal handling plant. The MEWP was being trammed to a park-up area. The MEWP failed to stop and rolled about 20 metres, coming to rest on a flat area.

Recommendations to industry: Operators must carry out pre-use inspections of plant where defects must be recorded. When identified, defects must be assessed, and repair works planned. When defects pose a risk to the safe operation of plant, the item of plant must not be used.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 0034701

Summary: A light vehicle rolled in an open cut coal mine. The vehicle was exiting a crib hut park-up area. As it turned onto the road, the driver was distracted by a noise and the sun affected the driver's vision. The vehicle hit the centre island and rolled onto its side. The driver climbed out of the vehicle uninjured.

Recommendations to industry: Drivers must maintain focus on the task at hand. When there is a distraction, the driver should find a safe place to stop and address the issue rather than risk causing an incident by trying to fix the problem while driving. Roadway and intersection designs must consider all environmental factors including sunlight, fixed lighting, visibly etc.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 0034703

Summary: An articulated dump truck rolled in a quarry. The truck was reversing up a narrow ramp onto a clay dump. The truck slid off the ramp and overturned.

Recommendations to industry: Operators should review their strategies to ensure they comply with documented traffic management plans. These strategies should incorporate effective supervision and auditing of compliance to documented arrangements.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 00347012

Summary: A collision occurred between a manned excavator and a dozer, which was operating autonomously. The excavator’s ladder was damaged and the operator required assistance to exit the machine. The operator was not injured.

Recommendations to industry: A causal investigation has commenced and further information will be provided to the industry.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 0034754

Summary: A fire was detected and extinguished by workers in an underground coal mine. The workers were inbye of the boot end of the drift belt when they smelled burning rubber. On investigation, they identified a return roller running in fines and reported a 'light glow' from the fines. The area was hosed down and cleaned immediately.

Recommendations to industry: Operators should review the adequacy of their arrangements for eliminating or mitigating the risks associated with the accumulation of material beneath belt conveyors.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 0034752

Summary: A light vehicle was damaged and lost control in an open cut coal mine. The vehicle was being driven on a haul road when it hit a pile of wet material that was being cleaned up. The front left-hand wheel hit the material and separated from the vehicle. The vehicle travelled about 60 metres and came to rest on the opposite side of the road. There were no oncoming vehicles and the worker was uninjured.

Recommendations to industry: When works create a potential hazard to other workers, suitable controls such as demarcation must be put in place.
When workers are driving through other work areas, they must slow down to an appropriate speed.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 0034759

Summary: A continuous miner was working at a development panel when it unexpectedly rolled backwards. The continuous miner was working on a slope under remote control. The miner rolled backwards about 15 metres. It hit a worker, who fell underneath it. Other workers moved out of the way. No-one was injured.

Recommendations to industry: Investigations are ongoing.

Dangerous incident | IncNot 0034760

Summary: A worker was hit by stone on a longwall face at a coal mine. A large slab of roof fell across the pan line and some pieces broke and fell into a walkway. A small piece hit an operator, bruising his leg.

Recommendations to industry: Operators should review the adequacy of their safe standing zones to consider all hazards including dust, face slabbing and moving equipment.

Other publications of interest

The incidents are included for your review. The NSW Resources Regulator does not endorse the findings or recommendations of these incidents. It is your legal duty to exercise due diligence to ensure the business complies with its work health and safety obligations.

International (fatal)

Publication: MSHA
Quarry death from crane fall
On 13 May 2019, a 59-year-old supervisor, with 40 years of experience, was fatally injured when the crane he was operating fell 25 metres into the quarry.
Details

Publication: MSHA
Haul truck fatality
On 13 May 2019, a 57-year-old truck driver, with 12 years of experience, was fatally injured when his haul truck rolled over. As the vehicle was climbing a haul road, it slowed, stopped and rolled backwards. It rolled uphill, which caused it to roll-over.
Details

International (other, non-fatal)

Publication: MinEX NZ
Loader over-balance incident
A loader was delivering a bucket full of sand to an aggregate blending stockpile. As the loader approached the mixing point, the operator began to raise the bucket in preparation to unload the bucket. The centre of gravity shifted too far forward, beyond the limits of the counterweights’ effectiveness and the loader slowly came to rest on its bucket and front wheels, with the rear wheels in the air. The body of the loader was slightly off centre to the operator’s right when it experienced the overbalancing event.
Details

National (fatal)

Publication: DRNME QLD
Engineering and maintenance of mobile plant braking systems
The safety bulletin provides information on investigations by the Mines Inspectorate where deficiencies in engineering and maintenance of mobile plant braking systems have contributed to several serious and fatal incidents. It is expected that implementation of recommendations will reduce the risk of braking system failures.
Details

Publication: DRNME QLD
Hazardous area - assurance of conformity of equipment
An inspection at a drill rig operating plant identified electrical motors installed within a hazardous zone that were not ANZEx or IECEx (International Conformity Assessment Scheme) certified.
Details

Weekly incident summary

Serious incident | IncNot 0034693