Potential crush point on personnel transport vehicle

The NSW Resources Regulator has published a safety alert following the incident on 20 May 2021. According to the report, at the time of the incident, a worker was travelling as a passenger in a personnel transport vehicle to complete a daily inspection of a water pump. The pump site was in an adjacent heading, which required the vehicle to traverse a cut-through, a commonly used roadway. The driver of the vehicle turned left into the cut-through and noticed three orange markers (pogo sticks) demarcating a piece of stowed equipment on the left side of the cut-through.

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As the vehicle turned into the cut-through, the passenger was adjusting his position in his seat. The worker leant his forearm on the door sill to lift himself vertically. The passenger did not see the stowed equipment.

The driver noticed there was limited clearance and coasted past the piece of equipment. As the vehicle passed the stowed equipment, the driver reported hearing the passenger scream. The driver stopped the vehicle and ran around to the passenger’s side to determine what had happened and observed the passenger had suffered serious injuries.

Original equipment designers:

• Review the design of passenger compartments to ensure the design does not facilitate or promote workers from resting their limbs in potential crush points. Communicate any necessary changes with equipment owners.

Equipment owners:

• Review passenger compartments to identify any potential crush points and put controls in place to protect workers.

Mine operators:

• Review passenger compartments to identify any potential crush points and put controls in place to protect workers.
• Communicate this incident with mine workers.
• Ensure effective training and supervision is in place to prevent workers from resting their arms on the door frame of underground transports.

Mine workers:

• Do not place limbs outside of the vehicle or rest your arms on the door sill of mobile plant, even if it is only momentarily.

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