An extraordinary incident, which occurred at an overseas concrete plant, involved a cement tanker driver and the operator of a front end loader.
The tanker driver had exited his cab and had entered the movement zone of work machinery/loaders. Although he noticed the loader from a greater distance, he bent down to remove or strike a piece of metal protruding from the concrete surface. At that moment, he was not wearing the required personal protective equipment; specifically, he did not have a safety helmet or high-visibility clothing.
Due to the limited visibility from the loader cabin caused by the raised bucket—necessary because of the fence while crossing the scale—and the position of the tanker driver in relation to the machine’s movement, the loader operator could not see him and continued driving directly toward him.
Upon noticing the imminent danger, the tanker driver threw himself to the ground (onto his back) in front of the loader. The loader passed over him in such a way that the wheels went on both sides of his body, without any physical contact. He sustained no bodily injuries, nor was there any direct impact.
After the incident, he remained lying on the ground, and several workers on-site rushed to assist him. The tanker driver then got up on his own and, in the presence of several workers, repeatedly refused to call emergency medical services as well as the provision of medical assistance, stating that he felt well and had no complaints.
Subsequently, after he was contacted several times, the tanker driver underwent medical check-ups and reported that all results were normal.
The graphics below illustrate the incident.
KEY FINDINGS
The following root causes that led up to the incident were;
- Inadequate traffic and pedestrian management in the loader operational zone.
- Insufficient PPE compliance for external drivers.
- Lack of clear communication protocols between drivers and heavy machine operators.
- Unsafe behaviour / risk-taking by the tanker driver (entering danger zone to remove hazard).
- Visibility limitations of the loader (design + operational constraints).