Two vehicle incidents at separate surface mine sites in New South Wales have put the spotlight back on traffic management and hazard control.
In the first event, a near miss occurred at a surface metals and extractives mine, when a haul truck and a light vehicle approached the same intersection and came within an estimated six metres of each other.
In a separate dangerous incident, a front-end loader (FEL) reversed into a customer’s rigid tipper at a surface extractives operation. The loader had been loading a screen hopper and was backing away when its rear counterweight hit the passenger-side bonnet and panelling of the truck.
According to the NSW Resources Regulator, the FEL operator did not know the truck had entered the work area.
The site had two signposted call points before vehicles entered the loader’s operating zone. The truck driver called at the first point but did not make the second required call before driving in.
Following the incidents, mine operators have been urged to review the NSW Resources Regulator’s technical reference guide for roads or other vehicle operating areas, with a focus on its layered defence approach to vehicle interactions.
In particular, the regulator is drawing attention to layer two of the approach, which deals with vehicle separation controls. These are measures that physically separate vehicles from hazards and from each other. They include traffic segregation, such as setting specific routes for different types of vehicles, and access controls to prevent unauthorised entry into hazardous areas.
Layer three, on the other hand, focuses on operating procedures, including clear road rules for vehicles on site, and layer four covers authority to operate, including proper training, thorough inductions and systems to ensure only authorised people can enter and work in vehicle operating areas.
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