Thursday 25 September 2008
Safety alert after mine truck crushed Landcruiser
The collision had occurred at a mine ramp intersection. The rear wheels of the CAT 789 dump truck ran over and crushed the front section of a Toyota Landcruiser Manhaul.
The driver of the smaller vehicle suffered non life threatening injuries but was trapped in the vehicle, and had to be cut out.
A re-enactment of the accident showed the intersection had unimpeded visibility. However, the ramp grade as well as the slight angle of the haul road meant the light vehicle entered the blind spot of the dump truck.
The dump truck driver of the CAT 789 cannot see behind the ‘A pillar’ of the roll over protection cab. To mitigate the risks presented by this, mining operators have been urged to perform a risk assessment on all intersections on each mine site to identify potential hazards.
Where access roads are at a slight angle, the intersection should be redesigned so access is only gained from a right angle. Bunding can be used as a temporary measure to force right angle entry until a more permanent redesign and construction is in place.
Vehicles should also be fitted with proximity detection devices.
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