Tipper incident
LOCATION:
CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY SITE
ACTIVITY:
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS / DELIVERY
TITLE
Tipper incident
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
WHAT HAPPENED
The driver of a pickup truck narrowly escaped death when an articulated lorry overturned whilst tipping its load
on a customers construction site.
The pick up was parked in an area of a construction site whilst the driver was making a call on his mobile
phone. As the lorry commenced tipping the pickup driver decided to leave his vehicle to talk to the site engineer
who was standing behind the tipping lorry. At approximately the same time the trailer of the lorry overturned
crushing the pickup to the ground.
The tractor unit of the lorry came to rest at an angle of approx 45 degrees on top of a site dumper which was
also standing in the tipping zone.
Fortunately no one received any injuries in this incident which clearly demonstrates the importance of
maintaining a safe exclusion zone around lorries whilst they are tipping.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
• The load did not discharge evenly from the lorry as a result of gypsum from a load which had previously
been carried, sticking to the floor of the trailer body causing instability.
• The area on which the vehicle was tipping was not level resulting in additional instability when the body
was raised
• No safe exclusion zone had been established in the area where the vehicle was tipping resulting in two
other vehicles being parked directly alongside the lorry whilst it was tipping
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
• A safe exclusion zone must always be established around all lorries before tipping commences to ensure
that the risk of damage or injury is minimised if a vehicle overturns.
• Drivers must check that vehicle bodies are clean before loading, to ensure loads discharge evenly.
• All tipping of lorries to be carried out on level ground, this is particularly relevant with regard to articulated vehicles. The distribution of the load within the body should also be checked prior to tipping.
• All drivers to be issued with and receive training in the hauliers rules/tipping code of practice
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
LOCATION:
CONSTRUCTION/DELIVERY SITE
ACTIVITY:
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS / DELIVERY
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