1
Aggregate & Quarry
Light Vehicle – Haul Truck Interaction
The presentation attached concerns a double fatality in Scotland in 2007 where a haul truck drove over a light vehicle in an opencast coal mine. This may be an old incident but it has come to light through the use of buggy whips in some mines as an aid to improving light vehicle visibility. Not all surface mines in New Zealand use buggy whips. Every surface mine in New Zealand whether a coal mine or an aggregate quarry faces the same principal hazard. I highly recommend that all surface mining operations review their hazard management plans relating to this hazard. The presentation contains some valuable lessons which we do not want to relearn via a fatality.
34% of all incidents reported to MinEx for surface mines are related to vehicles and traffic.
Investigation significant factors considered
• Land Rover entered dig area before trucks were removed – supervisors not aware
• No radio communication
• Land Rover parked in blind zone
• Truck driver not concentrating and reading newspaper
• Truck moved away into blind zone on full right hand lock
2
• Truck driver trained but relatively inexperienced
The main changes implemented following the fatality were:
• Radios in all vehicles
• Traffic management plans - new rules controlling entry into dig areas
• Supervisor’s vantage points
• Segregated light vehicle routes
• Buggy whips on all light vehicles
• Off-side CCTV on all rigid dump trucks
• Improvements to TR100 operator visibility
• Training – MPQC Assessors and Instructor
Kind regards
Les McCracken – MinEx Chief Executive Officer
MinEx is a national Health & Safety Council for the New Zealand minerals industry www.minex.org.nz
Straterra Inc. is the industry group representing the New Zealand resource sector and NZ miningwww.straterra.co.nz
Ground Level, 93 The Terrace, PO Box 10668, Wellington 6143, New Zealand E les@straterra.co.nz P +643 307 0239 M +64 274 328 926 Skype les.mccracken
Plant Specifications Group – Objectives
• Establish technical standards and specifications for the manufacture and operation of vehicles and mobile plant operating the UK opencast coal industry
• Engage with plant manufacturers, the HSE and other external bodies to promote a consistent approach to plant specifications
• Consider arrangements for the inspection and
maintenance of vehicles and mobile plant and develop procedures to ensure that the risk to maintenance
personnel is controlled
• Liaise with other CoalPro working groups, particularly the Traffic Management Group to ensure that a consistent approach to vehicle safety is adopted
• Largest surface mining company in UK • 3.5 million tonnes per year
• 9 production sites • 900 employees • Plant fleet: -
29 prime mover excavators
122 dump trucks
172 other main plant items
Pennyvenie Site
• Dalmellington, East Ayrshire
• Operations commenced 1987
• 24 hour operation
• 700,000 tonnes per year
• 130 employees
• Main plant – 6 x RH120
Terex TR100
The Incident
• 26
thFebruary 2007 at 1pm
• 2 deaths
Brian French (48)
Foreman Fitter
Colin Ferguson (37)
Fitter
• Multiple crush injuries caused by Terex TR100
dump truck colliding with Land Rover in dig area
What happened?
• Fitters were clearing loading zone for non-critical
inspection on RH120
• Fitters had no radio and were using hand signals
• Land Rover drove past stationary dump trucks
on off-side
• Land Rover parked in Terex TR100 blind zone
• Terex TR100 turned on full right lock
• Operator continued to attempt to drive over
obstacle following initial collision
Post Accident
• Emergency procedures instigated
• Preparations to move truck abandoned
• Emergency services on site within 20 minutes
• Police investigation
• Scottish Coal detailed survey of area
• Bodies recovered 10pm
• HSE investigation
• Reconstructions of incident (Scottish Coal +
HSE)
Investigation
Significant Factors Considered
• Land Rover entered dig area before trucks were
removed – supervisors not aware
• No radio communication
• Land Rover parked in blind zone
• Truck driver not concentrating and reading
newspaper
• Truck moved away into blind zone on full right
hand lock
• Land Rover and truck same colour – no contrast
• Truck driver trained but relatively inexperienced
Land Rover roof Cab support
System Improvements
• Radios in all vehicles
• Traffic management plans - new rules controlling
entry into dig areas
• Supervisor’s vantage points
• Segregated light vehicle routes
• Buggy whips on all light vehicles
• Off-side CCTV on all rigid dump trucks
• Improvements to TR100 operator visibility
• Training – MPQC Assessors and Instructors
Mirror 1 Mirror 2 Mirror 3 Mirror 4 Mirror 5 Mirror 6 Mirror 7 TEREX TR100 Off Side Camera
Mirror 7 Mirror 1 Mirror 2 Mirror 3 Mirror 4 Mirror 5 Mirror 6
Supervisors Vantage Point
Consequences for SRG
• 2 prohibition notices
No entry of non-production vehicles into dig area
No use of dump trucks without radios
• Prosecution
Sections 3 and 33 HSWA
Fine - £400,000
• Fatal Accident Inquiry – 35 days in court • Civil claims – litigation ongoing
• Substantial production, management and legal costs • Loss of reputation
FAI – Sheriff’s Determinations
Precautions which may have prevented deaths
• Radio communication• If truck driver had paid attention and not been reading a newspaper
• If truck had stopped after initial collision
• Specific training/instruction to prevent full lock turn into blind zone and when faced with obstruction
• Buggy whips • Off-side CCTV
FAI – Sheriff’s Determinations
Other relevant factors
• Failure to learn lessons from 2005 incident
• Greater emphasis required to alert operators to consequences of reading newspapers
• Post-accident safety improvements were introduced voluntarily by Scottish Coal
• Scottish Coal has performed a leading role in promoting safety within industry
• Collaboration with HSE, CoalPro, QNJAC is important to ensure safety improvements are implemented
• Improvements required to training and operator competence assessment schemes industry wide
FAI – Sheriff’s Determinations
Other relevant factors
• HSE to consider mechanisms for more efficient
dissemination of best practice identified by inspectors • HSE should enquire about radio use and traffic
management during inspections
• Consider updating Quarries Regulations and ACOP to address issues - segregation, blind spots, radios
• Engage manufacturers to ensure ongoing improvements • Develop industry practice for off-side CCTV and consider
development of international standards
• HSE to consider use of police crash investigators • Consider introduction of new RIDDOR Dangerous
Timetable of Events
Date Event
26/02/07 Accident
16/07/08 Scottish Coal charged Section 3 and 33 HSWA
26/08/08 Scottish Coal plead guilty – Fine £400,000
17/08/10 Fatal Accident Inquiry commences
15/03/11 Fatal Accident Inquiry completed – Total 35 days
24/06/11 Sheriff’s determination published
Forum for Presentation Location Date
CoalPro Health and Safety Committee Stobswood, Northumberland 21/7/11
MPQC Training Assessors Meeting Loughborough 21/9/11
Miller Argent / Celtic Energy Fos y Fran, Wales 23/9/11
QNJAC Plant Sub-Committee Cliffe Hill, Leicester 28/9/11
HJ Banks Mining Shotton, Northumberland 11/10/11
CoalPro Workers Safety Reps Forum Potland Burn, Northumberland 11/10/11
QNJAC Main Committee Birmingham 02/11/11
CoalPro Plant Manufacturers Meeting Coventry 03/11/11
UK Coal Harworth 14/11/11
MPQC Plant User Group Shepshed 22/11/11
CoalPro Management Committee Wakefield 08/12/11
ATH Resources New Cumnock, Ayrshire
Muirdean Fife
28/11/11 29/11/11 14/12/11