Safety Alert Issued Over Rollover Incidents Involving Load Shifting Plant

An increase in the number of rollover incidents of load shifting plant recently has led to NSW Mine Safety issuing a Safety Bulletin.

Most of the incidents led to operators suffering minor injuries and the load shifting plant sustaining serious damage.

Investigations have identified common causal factors.The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, sets out mandatory requirements for the person with management or control of powered mobile plant, (including load shifting plant).

Investigations have identified common causal factors. These include:

• environmental and/or site conditions on the day
• human error
• load shifting plant being operated beyond its design limits
• poor supervision of the plant operator
• safety critical system/component failures of the plant
• inadequate maintenance practices
• lack of procedures or safe work method statements for the activities being carried out
• plant operators’ inexperience with site conditions.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To assist in compliance with legislation, mine operators should:

1. Identify all work activities on the mine site where load shifting plant is, or is likely to be used.
2. Where load shifting plant is, or is likely to be used, for each activity determine if there is a potential risk of the plant rolling over or objects falling on the operator.
3. Where there is an identified risk of load shifting plant rolling over (or objects falling on the operator), risk control measures must be implemented to manage those risks in accordance with ‘hierarchy of risk control’, see clause 36.
4. So far as is reasonably practicable, in managing the risks (as identified in 3. above) provide, maintain and use operator protective structures on load shifting plant.
5. Provide for adequate training, supervision and task observation of site practices.
6. Consult with workers (in accordance with Section 47 of the WHS Act) in carrying out the recommendations.
7. Use a change management process to document all identified changes in the mine safety management plan and communicate those changes to all employees.