SAFETY UPDATE (Issue 23)

Safety Alert—Queensland Fatality—Prime Mover Rim Assembly Failure

The CMPA would like to ensure that all Members are aware of the number of fatalities that have occurred due to accidents involving tyre rims. The following Safety Alert, supplied by the NSW Department of Primary Industries relates to an incident that occurred in Queensland.

INCIDENT
A person suffered fatal injuries while changing a dual tyre and rim assembly on a drive axle bogey of a road train prime mover.

CIRCUMSTANCES
The tyre rims were typical 5 piece earthmover assemblies. The inner tyre was pressurised. Upon removal of the outer tyre and rim assembly retaining clamps, the inner rim assembly failed.

The rim assembly failure released the potential energy of the tyre with explosive force, propelling the outer tyre and rim assembly and failed components of the inner rim assembly off the hub.

INVESTIGATION
The Queensland Natural Resources and Mines are conducting the investigation.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• The current Australian Standard (AS 4457:1997) Earthmoving machinery – Off Highway Rims and Wheels – Maintenance and Repair is very specific for the de-mounting of this type of tyre and rim assembly:
  • “Prior to loosening any wheel nuts, any tyre fitted to a de-mountable rim to be changed shall be carefully deflated to a maximum pressure of 35 kPa. The tyre and rim assembly shall be removed in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s or the site’s written procedures.Where dual wheels are used, and the wheel is retained at the hub by other than a wheel disc, any tyre remaining on the same hub shall also be deflated to a maximum pressure of 35 kPa prior to loosening any wheel nuts.”
  • “Note: It is recommended that any tyre fitted to a de-mountable rim be fully deflated.”
• The standard also details the requirements for inspection and non destructive testing of all rims and components. This is essential preventative maintenance in the life cycle of all rim components.
• The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 is also specific for employers, designers, manufacturers and suppliers of plant.

AUSTRALIAN FATALITY REPORTS

CRUSHER FATALITY
A 39 year old quarry maintenance fitter was fatally injured whilst attempting to rotate the fixed jaw wear plate on a mobile crusher. The fitter climbed into the crusher box after the moving jaw had been removed for repairs to the bearing. The 1.3 tonne fixed jaw wear plate fell from its mounts crushing the fitter against the front beam of the crusher box.

FATAL INJURY TO PRIME MOVER OPERATOR AS RIM ASSEMBLY FAILS
While removing a tyre and rim assembly from a drive axle bogey of an off-highway coal transport prime mover the operator suffered fatal injuries when the inner rim assembly failed and blew the outer wheel and mounting jewellery of the inner assembly off the drive axle.

CONTRACTOR FATALITY
A truck broke down and could not be restarted. The deceased was directing another truck into close proximity so jumper leads could be connected. He was standing on the cab decking of the disabled truck, leaning over the handrail giving hand signals to the driver of the other unit so that he could manoeuvre close to the disabled unit. The moving vehicle had been instructed to stop very close to the stationary unit and then called forward slowly to bring the corners of the vehicles almost into contact. The driver of the moving vehicle was closely observing the hand signals being given by the deceased as he moved slowly forward. The deceased was looking down at the gap between the two vehicles as it closed. The operator of the truck describes seeing the deceased “go rigid.” He looked up from the hand signals and saw that the deceased’s head had been caught between the two trays and crushed. The operator reversed his vehicle slightly and the deceased slumped over the handrail of the stationary truck.

LONE WORKER KILLED
A 50-year-old lone worker was welding on a hydraulic work platform when he was fatally crushed between the rails of the platform and the factory roof.

UNDERGROUND ROCK FALL
A Jumbo offsider died in an underground rock fall accident at a gold mine in Western Australia. The offsider was in the process of placing a rock bolt onto a boom during ground support operations when a rock weighing approximately 1 tonne fell and struck him on the back of the shoulders and head. The victim died instantly from the impact.

AUSTRALIAN INCIDENT REPORTS

FALL OF DRILL ROD
The driller started raising the drill rod from the rod rack to attach it to the next drill rod on the drill hole. The driller’s offsider stepped onto the platform to guide the end of the rod to the next drill rod at the hole as it cleared the rod rack. The rod suddenly released from the screw plug attachment falling onto the driller’s offsider. Fortunately the offsider was wearing a helmet when the rod fell onto his head, saving him from a serious or fatal injury.

COLLAPSE OF BIN HOPPER
A product bin hopper fell into the tray of a dump truck while discharging. The truck operator had pushed the lever to open the pneumatic gate and hit the button to start the bin vibrator and the flow of crusher dust when the hopper section separated at the flanged joint collapsed into the tray.

DOZER ROLLOVER
A dozer was preparing to clean some material off a bench. The operator had made himself a track along the bench and turned the dozer to start cleaning up. The right hand side track started to sink. He dropped the blade and ripper to stabilise the dozer and assess the situation. Realising the bench was unstable he attempted to turn the dozer so that it was facing down the slope. As he raised the blade and the ripper the bench gave way and the dozer rolled 2.5 times landing on its roof. The operator was wearing his seat belt and was uninjured.

FORKLIFT ROLLOVER
A forklift struck an overhead gantry resulting in the machine rolling over. The incident occurred while contract workers were dismantling a workshop area on a mine site. The operator received minor injuries.

TRUCK ROLL AWAY
A truck rolled out of the workshop down a slope coming to rest in an environmental sump. A wheel chock was placed behind one of the truck wheels. The floor had recently been washed.

HAUL TRUCK ROLL OVER
An 18 year old labour hire employee received minor injuries when a loaded haul truck he was operating rolled onto its side. The incident occurred at night during the employee’s first shift at the quarry.

5” ANGLE GRINDER
A boilermaker was using a 5” grinder to cut a strip of aluminium. The cutting disk shattered and fragments were sent across the workshop resulting in a tradesman standing 6 metres away being struck in the temple. The force was considerable resulting in the tradesman receiving medical treatment for a cut and assessed for concussion.

LOADER REVERSED INTO DUMP TRUCK
A loader had picked up a bucket of coal and was reversing back towards the hopper during the night shift. As the loader swung around in preparation to move forward it collided with the dump truck, which was in position to reverse into the hopper.

STORED ENERGY
There have been a number of similar incidents and near misses involving the installation and removal of longwall roof supports using temporary hydraulic lines (whip hoses). Employees sustained superficial injuries, (eg hand injuries) when they were hit by high pressure hydraulic fluid (350 Bar Pressure).

ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM A LIGHT FITTING
A mineworker received an electric shock when his forearm made contact with a flameproof Burn Brite fluorescent light fitting on a continuous miner in the hazardous zone of a coal mine.

WORKER CAUGHT IN CONVEYOR RETURN ROLLER
A 24-year-old trainee loader operator sustained serious injuries when he became caught in a poorly guarded scalps conveyor return roller. Just prior to the incident the operator was using a small D handled shovel to clean spilt material from the bottom of the roller guard. Whilst cleaning the guard, the shovel became caught and the operator was dragged into a large gap between the guard and the moving conveyor belt.

TRUCK REVERSED INTO ROLLER DOOR
A dump truck head board collided with the workshop bay door while being reversed out of the workshop during daylight.

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