A worker suffered serious leg injuries during a nose-to-tail collision between two rear dump haul trucks. The injured worker was transported to hospital for treatment. The NSW Resources Regulator has commenced an investigation into the incident.
Incident date: 23 July 2018
Event: Serious injury at an open cut coal mine
Location: Bulga Surface Operations, Singleton NSW
The mine
Bulga Coal Management Pty Limited is the mine operator of the Bulga Surface Operations. The mine is part of Glencore Bulga Coal and is on Broke Road near the rural villages of Bulga and Broke. Bulga Coal is 15 kilometres southwest of Singleton, NSW.
Bulga Coal comprises of an open cut and coal handling preparation plant. The open cut is a truck and shovel operation that produces semi-soft coking coal and thermal coal for export. The open cut has a fleet of about 50 haul trucks.
The incident
At 3.45 am on 23 July 2018, a labour-hire worker, aged 28, was operating an unladen haul truck at Bulga Surface Operations. The worker drove along a haul road toward a second 223-tonne rear dump truck that was stopped on the haul road to give way to other vehicles entering the haul road.
The worker failed to stop, which caused a nose-to-rear collision with the second unladen haul truck. The front of the worker’s haul truck impacted with the rear edge of the tray of the second truck, crushing the operator’s cabin and trapping the worker inside.
The mine’s rescue team released the worker from the crushed cabin. The worker was transported to the hospital where he underwent medical treatment.
The worker suffered multiple fractures to his right leg and a small laceration to the face. The worker operating the second dump truck was uninjured.
Photograph 2: Nose-to-tail collision of two dump truck showing height of truck tray and cabin. Photograph by Major
Investigation Unit.
The investigation
Resources Regulator inspectors and investigators responded to the incident and commenced an investigation to determine the cause and circumstances of the incident. The mine operator and labour-hire company are cooperating with the investigation. Preliminary enquiries indicate that fatigue may be a causal factor. An investigation report will be prepared for the Secretary of the Department of Planning and Environment.
Safety observations
Mine and petroleum site operators are reminded of their duty to identify hazards and manage risks to health and safety associated with the movement of mobile plant in accordance with the provisions of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety (Mines and Petroleum Sites) Act 2013 and Regulations.
Mine operators must have effective safety management systems in place and identify risks associated with the operation and movement of mobile plant. In managing these risks mine operators must have regard to the design and layout of all roads used by mobile plant. Consideration must also be given to the management of risks to health and safety associated with worker fatigue.
Principal hazard management plans must have control measures for roads and other vehicle operating areas. When developing control measures ensure all potential collision situations involving mobile plant interaction are identified. Consider the hierarchy of controls; including engineering controls such as mine road design and construction, proximity detection and collision avoidance systems, identification lights on mobile plant and mobile plant monitoring systems.
Mine operators must also ensure that workers are adequately trained and competent in the safe use of
mobile plant and fitness for work procedures.
Workers must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and comply with reasonable instructions that are given to manage fatigue risks. Workers should report to their supervisors or managers when they are fatigued and avoid undertaking safety-critical or high-risk tasks, including monotonous work such as driving haul trucks.
Further information
Please refer to the following guidance materials:
- MDG-15 Guideline for mobile and transportable plant for use at mines other than underground coal mines
- Fatigue-Management-Guide.pdf
- IIR18-03 Serious injury at Maules Creek mine
Source: Minex
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