The Queensland Department of Mines and Energy (DME) has released a safety alert urging miners to be careful when operating large vehicles after a driver narrowly avoided a serious head-on collision with another vehicle.
The driver was taking the last load of the shift to the dump and attempted to drink from a water bottle.
The driver’s left hand was used to steer the vehicle while the right hand balanced the drink.
In doing this, the truck drifted toward the left side of the road.
As the driver corrected the steering, the water bottle overbalanced.
The driver was distracted and lost control of the truck.
The truck came to rest on the centre safety rill of the road, narrowly avoiding a vehicle coming from the opposite direction.
The safety alert commended the minesite’s forward thinking, installing safety rills on the haul road.
Mike Walker
District Inspector of Mines
07 4938 4121
info@dme.qld.gov.au
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