The department has released a guideline on tyre safety.
| Date: | Tuesday, 08 September 2015 |
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A guideline on tyre safety for earth-moving machinery has been released by the Department of Mines and Petroleum’s Resources Safety Division.
Mines Safety Director Andrew Chaplyn said the guideline highlighted the risks of working with tyres off-the-road (OTR) in the mining industry.
“There have been a number of fatalities in the mining industry directly related to not understanding or addressing the risks associated with such tyres,” Mr Chaplyn said.
“They are dangerous not only because of their size and mass, but also because of the pressures and combustible materials involved.”
Earlier this year one worker died and another was seriously injured after a tyre exploded during work at a Queensland coal mine.
In 2003 a worker was killed at a Western Australian mine site after he was hit by a wheel assembly when an inner tube burst during inflation.
“These tragedies are a reminder of the importance of tyre safety and the potential for fatal consequences when that safety is compromised,” Mr Chaplyn said.
The guideline describes common hazards when working with tyres, rims, wheels and assemblies on heavy mining equipment.
“It provides guidance on safe systems of work in a mining environment, while allowing for flexibility in both process and documentation,” Mr Chaplyn said.
The guideline is currently available on the department’s website.
More information about Resources Safety is available from the department’s website.
The guideline highlights the risks of working with tyres in the mining industry
