The New South Wales Resources Regulator is urging mine operators to share a recent cautionary tale with workers to bring attention to correct brake procedure.
The incident occurred at an underground coal mine in NSW last week and involved a miner becoming trapped between a light vehicle and a ventilation door for almost an hour before he was discovered.
An operator driving a personnel transport vehicle in an underground coal mine was intending to traverse through a set of ventilation doors.
The operator stopped the vehicle and alighted to open the first door and forgot to apply the park brake.
While opening the first door, the vehicle slowly rolled forward and pinned the worker’s lower left leg against the door.
The operator was pinned by the vehicle against the door for about 60 minutes with the engine idling before someone discovered and released him.
The door interlock was tested as functional in the vehicle’s daily checks before the incident.
“This incident serves as a reminder of the potential risks to alighting a vehicle without applying the park brake,” the NSW Resources Regulator said.
“Vehicles should also be parked fundamentally stable and turned off if left unattended.”
The Regualtor said mine operators should:
- communicate this incident to all vehicle operators and remind them of the importance to always apply the park brake when alighting and to never solely rely on the door interlock to apply the park brake
- verify (periodically and independently through observations) that vehicle operators apply park brakes when alighting.
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