During vehicle manoeuvring on a customer site, a company-owned mixer became immobilised due to soft ground conditions. In an effort to recover the vehicle, the customer attempted to tow the mixer using an on-site earth mover and chains.
On the initial towing attempt, a single chain was utilised. Under tension, the chain failed and snapped, propelling a section of it through the air. The chain struck the mixer vehicle’s windscreen directly in front of the driver’s seated position. A subsequent attempt was made using multiple chains; however, one of these also failed under load.
As a result of these incidents, the mixer vehicle sustained damage to both the external sun visor and the windscreen. The outcome could have been far more serious if anyone had been struck by the chain.
The images show the broken chain and damage to the windscreen and cab of the mixer truck
KEY FINDINGS
- An investigation identified the following root causes.
- No Take One Risk Assessment carried out to determine hazards and controls
- No procedure in place for the self-recovery of the vehicle
- Lack of information, instruction and training provided to the driver
- Incorrect equipment used to recover the vehicle