Government of Western Australia

Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Safety and Health Snapshot
for the Western Australian minerals sector

Safe access to vehicles and mobile equipment Issued August 2021

Safety issues in regard to entering, Injuries by employment type Injuries by area

exiting, ascending or descending of
vehicles and mobile equipment can
be easily overlooked. Factors such 95 of the 120 injuries
as poorly designed and maintained occurred during surface operations
access, inattention or incorrect
practice may lead to potential injuries.

Simple inattention when stepping

50
Contract
70
Company
down from a vehicle onto an uneven or
unstable surface can result in a rolled
ankle and lost time injury. This is the
most common incident associated
with access and egress from vehicles Injuries by nature (top 2) 25 of the 120 injuries
and plant in the field. occurred during underground operations

This snapshot covers the period from 63% were sprains and
1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 (unless strains
stated otherwise). During this period
there were a total of 120 injuries
related to access to vehicles and Fractures had the
mobile equipment. 2nd highest at 23%
For more information about
occupational safety and health, visit
our website www.dmirs.wa.gov.au Injuries by days lost Injuries by part of body (top 3)

@DMIRS_WA 24% of the 120 injuries

Department of Mines, 1,616 work days lost were ankle
Industry Regulation and Safety
Knee had the 2nd
4,350 work days on highest at 13%
alternative duties Back had the 3rd
Injuries by severity highest at 11%

Access to vehicle and mobile

equipment injuries in the last 5 Injuries by type of accident (top 2)
financial years
46% of the 120 injuries
140 were stepping
103 of the 120 injuries
120
related to access to vehicles and mobile Fall getting on/off
equipment were classified as serious 100 vehicle or mobile
equipment had the
80
2nd highest at 28%
47 of the 120 injuries 60
were lost time
40

20

0
2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20

Note: The information in this snapshot has come from a keyword search of incident reports.
Some recent incidents

Rolled ankle 19/09/20 Rolled ankle 02/01/21 Torn meniscus 16/07/19

A worker at an open pit stepped from a
haul truck onto the pit floor and rolled
their ankle. The worker was attended
by paramedics on site then examined
again at an off-site medical centre.
A worker rolled their ankle when exiting
a truck at a processing plant.
Broken arm and strained
shoulder 01/07/19
An operator twisted their knee
descending the access ladder of a
water cart at an open pit. The operator
misjudged the last step and received
medical treatment for a torn meniscus.

A worker at an open pit exited the cab

Laceration 09/09/19
of a digger, slipped on the bottom step Safe work practices
and fell. He broke his fall with his arm
A worker was descending a fixed and strained his shoulder. Check for uneven
ladder on the side of a drill rig when surfaces before
he inadvertently straddled a wooden stepping down from
grid peg, resulting in laceration of the vehicle and mobile
scrotum. He received first aid on site Spotlight on Mines Safety
equipment
before being transferred to the regional Significant Incident Report
hospital for further treatment. No. 271
Maintain three-
point contact at all
Near miss when latch fails and gate
times while entering,
swings open on a haul truck
Spotlight on Mines Safety exiting, ascending, or
Significant Incident Report 23 November 2018 descending
No. 202
Regular inspection
Fall from crane deck results in serious and maintenance of
injury vehicles and mobile
30 June 2014 equipment

Employees adequately
trained regarding the
safe access and exit
of vehicle and mobile
equipment
Contributory causes
• The site's routine maintenance
program and prestart inspection Ensure that there is
regime for the plant didn't prompt adequate lighting on
workers to inspect the latch. vehicles
• The original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) released
a service bulletin in April 2017 Only authorised,
relating to the latch; however, the trained workers can
recommended works were not access vehicles and
actioned on this vehicle. mobile equipment
• The OEM's service bulletin didn't
identify the hazard relating to Steps, rails, handholds,
Contributory causes
a failure of the latch. Nor did it ladders and surfaces
• Access to the deck of the crane communicate this as a mandatory should be free of
was poorly designed. The ladder improvement or a priority for the debris and grease
was narrow and there were limited recommended works.
hand holds above the deck.
Do not use parts of
• The risk of falling from height was
vehicle or mobile
not identified for the task.
equipment that are not
• There was no training in the safe designed as handholds
work procedure for working at or footholds e.g. doors
height. or mudgards

For more information see our safety alerts and summaries for industry awareness at www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/ResourcesSafety
Past issues of monthly safety and health snapshot series can be viewed at www.dmp.wa.gov.au/SafetySnapshots