Bulletin no. 211 | 03 April 2023 | Version 1

On-highway truck and trailer rollovers at mines

What happened?

In the previous 12 months, there have been 15 reported incidents involving the rollover of a truck or trailers while travelling at metalliferous mines and quarries across Queensland.

How did it happen?

Although a number of different factors have contributed to these incidents, recurring factors include:

• driver distraction, fatigue and mobile device usage
• not driving to the conditions
• operator familiarity with the haulage environment (grades, speeds, tight curves etc.) and competency to operate the combinations being driven
• adverse weather conditions
• mechanical defects, in particular with trailer braking systems.

Recommendations

All site senior executives should:

• Ensure, where on-highway trucks are used that risk assessments have been undertaken to identify and control the risks associated with rollovers. Risk assessments must consider as a minimum:
• if equipment is fit for purpose
• changing weather conditions or work environments
• haul road construction, routes, intersection design and interaction with other plant
• suitable bunding at high-risk areas
• speed limits
• driver fatigue management and alignment to national heavy vehicle operational requirements
• the securing of items in cabs.
• Ensure Safety and Health Management Systems (SHMS) incorporate effective Contractor Management Plans, including inspection of Contractor's plant and equipment, and the requirements of the risk assessment before it is allowed to operate on site.
• Consider fitment of rollover protection for truck cabs (ROPS) as a mitigating control and the use of technology such as dash-cameras, GPS and driver fatigue monitoring as additional controls.

The images below are of some of the rollovers which have occurred in the mining industry in the previous 12 months. Each of these incidents had the potential to cause serious harm to the driver or other drivers on the road.