A road train, incorporating a prime mover, lead trailer and dog trailer, was loaded at a quarry while on a 5.5 per cent slope. Its wheels were in loose sand with firm compacted ground underneath. The road train remained stationary while being loaded.
When loading had finished, the road train driver went to collect the loading docket from the loader driver, who had parked his loader in front of the road train. The road train rolled forward as it overcame the resistance provided by the loose sand, crushing the driver against the ladder on the loader.
The recovery team, reversing the road train to release the injured driver, found that the park brake had not been applied.
The driver’s serious crush injuries included broken bones.
Direct causes
- No parking brake was applied while the road train was parked on the slope.
- The driver was in the line-of-fire of the moving road train.
Contributory causes
There was:
- no warning signal in the cabin to remind the driver to apply the park brake before leaving the vehicle
- no written loading procedure based on a formal risk assessment
- no written procedure or controls for preventing a runaway vehicle.