Dangerous incident report

Dangerous incident

Summary: A mulching machine and water cart were clearing scrub and timber. As the water cart returned from refilling and re-entered the work area, a piece of wood about the size of a softball ejected from the mulcher and travelled about 30 m before hitting the water cart’s windscreen at the operator’s head height. The result was a smashed windscreen, with no glass entering the cabin.

Recommendations to industry: Hazard: kinetic energy (velocity) of object.
Risk: harm to people by being struck by a moving object.
Recommendations:

• Risks to health or safety at mines must be managed in accordance with clause 9 the Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Regulation. The risk assessment should identify hazards associated with the operation of mulchers and identify the controls required to manage the risks
• Mulchers should have guards that prevent objects being ejected, as well as preventing people being drawn into the mulcher
• Mulchers should only be used on material as specified by the OEM and in accordance with the OEM information
  Refer to:
  SafeWork NSW code Managing the risks of plant in the workplace