During April 2018, a worker was exposed to potentially serious injuries when a handrail latch failed, causing a handrail gate to swing open.
The truck was in the queue to receive a load when a trainee operator and the trainer stepped out o1 the cab to hold a discussion. The trainee was leaning over the handrail outside the cab near th1 emergency ladder when the latch failed. The trainee lost his balance and grabbed the handrail. Th1 trainer reacted immediately and grabbed the trainee's arm to prevent him from falling. The distanc1 to the ground was more than four meters.
Direct causes
The latch securing the handrail gate in a closed position failed.
Contributory causes
- The site's routine maintenance program and prestart inspection regime for the plant didn't prompt workers to inspect the latch.
- The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) released a service bulletin in April 2017 relating to the latch; however, the recommended works were not actioned on this vehicle.
- The OEM's service bulletin didn't identify the hazard relating to a failure of the latch. Nor did it communicate this as a mandatory improvement or a priority for the recommended works.