Another mineworker has been crushed by a hydraulic staircase on a dozer after regulators found that a range of issues associated with wiring modifications that resulted in an unexpected staircase movement. The incident comes just months after a Queensland miner died when he was jammed in a staircase on an excavator.
The Western Australian mine safety regulator reported that “on the 5 March 2020, a bulldozer operator sustained serious injuries to their leg after being crushed between a hydraulic access staircase and handrail that were attached to the bulldozer”
According to information supplied by the regulator, “the dozer operator had just completed a pre-work inspection of the job site with their leading hand and was accessing the dozer via the stairs when the stairs began to raise unexpectedly. The operator attempted to get clear of the moving stairs by jumping to the platform alongside the operator’s cabin but was trapped between the handrail and the moving staircase. The leading hand saw that the operator was trapped and used a spanner to remove the handrail from the bulldozer and free the operator prior to site emergency response personnel arriving and providing assistance. The operator was airlifted to hospital for treatment of crush injuries to their leg.”
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Poor wiring termination results in unexpected triggering of the hydraulic staircase
An inspection of the equipment by the Regulator found that there were multiple modifications to the wiring of the dozer which were not compliant with the requirements for installation of the hydraulic staircase and there was poor wiring termination on a modification allowing the switching wire for the hydraulic staircase to earth, triggering unexpected staircase movement.
You can read the full report here
Image: WA DMIRS
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