Coal Inspectorate | Alert | No.434 V 1 | 14 September 2023

Rear dump truck rollover

What happened?

A haul truck rollover incident occurred at a surface coal mine. On Friday 8 September 2023 a Caterpillar 793C rear dump truck was travelling loaded approaching a slight right-hand bend.  The operator failed to negotiate the corner and the truck mounted the high-risk bund on the left side of the road.  The truck continued up the bund rolling onto the right-hand side of the truck coming to rest on the running surface of the haul road (refer Figure 1). The reason for failing to negotiate the bend is still under investigation.

How did it happen?

The high risk bunding was installed to protect a crib hut that was positioned adjacent to the haul road.

The final position of the truck was 68m from the crib hut.

The time of incident was 5:23am.

Watering of the haul road did not contribute to the incident.

The truck was not fitted with a driver safety system such as ADS or DSS.

The high risk bunding prevented the haul truck contacting the crib hut.

First responders were trained in emergency response.

The operator did not sustain any fractures however they do have a small laceration and minor bruising because of the incident.

Key learnings

• A mine must have policies and procedures in place to manage fatigue.
• Coal Mine Workers (CMWs) must be trained in these procedures.
• High risk bunding, when installed correctly, can prevent more serious outcomes (e.g. truck over edge or truck into crib hut).
• CMWs must act if fatigued in accordance with the sites Safety and health Mangement System (SHMS).
• Supervisors must monitor the team for signs of fatigue and/or forms of distraction during operations.
• Mines should consider the use of technology to assist in the management of driver fatigue or distraction.