Truck roll-away triggers safety alert

On September 20th, the driver parked the truck and left the cab, the unoccupied truck then rolled about 200 metres before crashing into a business. Thankfully, there were no injuries, but the incident resulted in damage to two business premises.

SafeWork SA inspectors attended the scene and are currently conducting inquiries to further understand what happened.

However, it is important to note that this is not an isolated incident. In the past three years, South Australia has experienced three deaths caused by roll-away vehicles at work. Additionally, there have been seven serious injuries and five reports of property damage due to vehicle roll-aways since 2020.

A roll-away incident refers to the unintended movement of a vehicle when it has not been properly immobilized. In many cases, this occurs because the handbrake was either not engaged or ineffective.

It is essential to understand that roll-aways can happen with any type of mobile plant, including cars, forklifts, trucks, tractors, trailers, passenger vehicles, and heavy machinery. These incidents can occur on worksites, car parks, maintenance yards, or even when a vehicle is parked on the side of the road.

Some common situations that can lead to roll-aways include inadequate application or engagement of vehicle brakes, repairs being done on the vehicle, loading and unloading processes, or when coupling or uncoupling a truck and trailer.

Vehicle roll-aways pose a significant risk to individuals who could be hit, crushed, trapped, or run over, potentially resulting in serious injuries or even fatalities. Furthermore, injuries can occur when someone tries to enter or exit a vehicle that is already in motion.

Since the implementation of the Work Health and Safety legislation in 2013, SafeWork SA has been notified of a total of five deaths, 18 serious injuries, and nine property damage incidents related to vehicle roll-aways.

Safe Work Australia has recently released a new fact sheet to provide guidance on managing the risks associated with vehicle roll-aways in the workplace. This resource aims to assist businesses, employers, and workers in understanding and mitigating these risks effectively.

As per the WHS laws, businesses have a duty to eliminate or minimize risks to the best of their abilities. The new fact sheet offers practical tips on how to reduce the risk of vehicle roll-away incidents, such as seeking out flat ground when parking, utilizing fail-safe automatic braking systems, or employing the use of chocks.

SafeWork SA, emphasises the preventability of vehicle roll-away incidents in South Australia. He emphasizes that eliminating this risk should be the top priority for all businesses and drivers. If elimination is not possible, following a hierarchy of control measures with the highest level of protection should be implemented to minimize risk.

The newly released vehicle roll-away fact sheet provides businesses with a range of engineering and other control measures to increase overall safety and reduce the likelihood of such incidents. Read the fact sheet here.