02.12.2015

Telehandler report requires action

The Department of mines and Petroleum of Western Australia has published an incident report into a telehandler overturn at a mine that resulted in a man being seriously injured.

The incident involved a telehandler equipped with an aerial work platform from which a man was working at a height of around 12 metres. He was removing a rock from the a vertical cliff face. The rock was dislodged but fell and landed on the right hand hydraulic stabiliser cylinder, hitting the check valve block, shearing its retaining bolts so that it broke free from the cylinder leaving the jack free to retract as it lost pressure and the oil escaped.
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The right hand stabiliser jack lost pressure after its check valve was smashed off by a falling rock

As a result the telehandler overturned to the side. The work platform then became wedged against the cliff face around six metres above the mine floor, trapping the man's legs. The mine rescue team was able to bring him down, but he sustained a fractured lower right leg and crush injuries to his left foot.

The department ruled that:

1. The manufacturer’s check valve covers were inadequate to prevent damage from impact by large or heavy objects.

2. Work planning did not consider the potential for equipment to be struck by falling rocks outside of the demarcation zone.

3. The design of the work basket did not prevent the extension of body parts past the basket's edge protection during uncontrolled movement.
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It recommends that the following actions to be taken

1. A review be conducted of equipment fitted with check valves to determine if a risk of impact exists for the check valve and block.

2. For tasks involving working at height, identify scenarios where objects could fall and strike critical equipment and people below.

3. For work baskets used to conduct work at height, determine the adequacy of the basket’s design to prevent body parts extending past edge protection if there is uncontrolled movement.