What Happened?
- A surfacing contractor was surfacing footpaths on a construction site.
- The material was being loaded into hand wheel barrows through a ‘chute’, which is located in the tailgate of a typical road truck.
- The body of the truck is tipped at this point.
- The operative working the wheel barrow heard a loud noise and immediately jumped back.
- The tailgate shot open and the remaining load in the truck emptied out, completely submersing the wheel barrow.
Why it Happened?
- The investigation by the subcontractor identified that the truck, which was not owned by the surfacing contractor, did not have additional bolts to standard tipping trucks but which are a feature of trucks that load wheelbarrows.
- The standard fixings of the tailgate had failed under the substantial load of the tipped material.
Immediate Learnings / Recommendations?
- If the operative had not been paying attention, they would have been crushed.
- When subcontractors or anybody is off loading materials by hand wheel barrows, ensure that the tailgate of the truck is modified for this operation.
- Check for a manufacturer’s stated Safe Working Load (SWL) or ramp capacity and undertake pre-use checks.