A tipper driver delivering to a site walked into the end of an Armco barrier, resulting in a cut to his thigh which required 3 stitches.

The discharge hopper capacity is 10 tonne, therefore the delivery per vehicle is made up of several tips.  Unfortunately, because the hopper is below ground, the level of material in the hopper could not be seen in the vehicle’s rear camera therefore, the driver needed to get out and check the level.  When the driver was returning to the vehicle cab he deviated off the usual route and walked into the end of a barrier which protects the control panel for the transverse conveyor.

The driver was taken to the local hospital where they treated the wound and applied 3 stitches.  Thankfully, he was able to return to work later in the day.

HOW COULD THIS HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

Ideally, by eliminating the need for drivers to get out of their cabs; however, not all tipper tailgates are automatic, drivers must check fill levels where the capacity of ground hoppers are restricted, and they need to clean their tailgates after tipping before going back onto the highway.

The exposed end of the Armco barrier was not protected. See below the before and after images, these show how a similar incident will be avoided by the changes made after this incident.

The driver didn’t carry out a ‘Take 5’ assessment before delivering.  If he had, he may have noticed the barrier and taken extra care around this area and highlighted the hazard via a Near Miss / Hazard Alert card.

KEY REVIEW POINTS

• Wherever possible, eliminate the need for driver / pedestrian movement on sites.
• Risk assess pedestrian areas for hazards such as slips, trips and falls, sharp edges, and unprotected pedestrian areas.
• Review pedestrian barriers to ensure there are no exposed sharp edges, for example by using end caps on Armco barriers, see image below.