Incident

On the 26th of June 2007 the driver of a truck was fatally injured when he became trapped between the deck and the tailgate of the truck he was unloading.

Investigation

It was likely that when the load was being tipped the operator left the cab and went to the rear of the truck to ensure the wood fell onto the pile. As the deck rose the tailgate came to rest on the top of the woodpile causing the rear wheels to lose contact with the ground. The handbrake became ineffective (as it worked on the rear wheels) which allowed the truck to move backwards and close the gap between the deck and the tailgate. The driver was standing between the tailgate and the deck of the truck and became trapped.

Recommendations

1. Operators must identify all possible ways staff can be injured when tipping material from truck trays, including being caught between tailgate and the tray.
2. Procedures, systems and mechanical aids must be developed to reduce the risk of injury.
3. When developing working procedures consideration must be given to how to safely clear loads when they become jammed.
4. Such procedures must ensure that staff do not place themselves between the tailgate and tray.
5. All staff operating tip trucks must be trained in the developed systems and procedures relevant to the type of truck.

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Issued by the Department of Labour, New Zealand
http://www.osh.dol.govt.nz

No. 27 - December 2007