Whilst loading sand into a radial conveyor boot hopper, the bucket of the shovel loader struck the rear wall of the boot hopper. The investigation has identified that the wheel stop which is designed to prevent the shovel loader driving too far onto the boot hopper had been compromised by a buildup of spilt material. This spilt material in effect created a ramp that allowed the shovel loader to drive too close on to the fixed plant resulting in the shovel loader striking the fixed plant. The image below shows the approach to the boot hopper where one can see the build-up in front of the stop wall.

This image below shows the approach to the hopper once the spillage had been cleared (Note: height of bucket is 45 cm).

Points to be considered

• Are protective devices are working, effective and have not been compromised?
• Is adequate housekeeping being undertaken with spillages cleared?
• What is changing over time that may not be obvious?
• Are site conditions deteriorating over time?