NZ Fatality - truck driver killed with tipper fell on cab
Tragically, a truck driver was killed last week when his tipper body fell onto the cab of his truck while he was unloading in a Tauranga quarry.
We do not know the circumstances or causes of the accident, however the company, and WorkSafe, are conducting thorough investigations that will hopefully provide learnings for the extractives sector.
In the interim, this tragedy is a timely reminder for us all to ensure we are engaging with our workers to identify hazards and particularly fatal hazards, assess the risk of our workers being harmed by these hazards, and implementing critical controls to eliminate the risk of a fatality or serious injury.
We recommend that all sites review tipping procedures and practices, particularly in relation to on-road trucks operating in quarries. You need to ensure that:
- all trucks tip on firm, stable and level ground
- when tipping onto stockpiles, that you tip short and push up with a loader. This will reduce the risk of the rear wheels backing onto the stockpile
- trucks need to avoid jack-knifing when tipping as this can put the cab into the fall zone of the tipper body
- maintenance of on-road trucks takes into account the harsh conditions experienced in a quarry or mine
- all workers are trained in safe operating procedures
- regular workplace inspections are conducted to ensure that risk controls are in place and are effective.