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Image copy from www,jniosh.go.jp/icpro/jicosh-old/English/cases/cases/case34.htm

I quote the title of this article from the Safety and Health information bulletin SHIB 09-18-2006, “Hazards of Unintended Movement of Dump Truck Body Beds” from website “www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib091806.html”, published by U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

News cut – Sin Chew Daily, 25 February 2011

News extracted from Borneo Post, “A young mechanic was crushed to death by the bucket of the lorry he was repairing…….His co-workers Nelson sustained light injuries on his right arm as he managed to get away when the bucket collapsed…..”.

If you have read the bulletin, then you would realize that what happened on the 24th February 2011 in Miri , Sarawak that cost a young 32 years old mechanic’s life is a safety problem.  The SHIB 09-18-2006 bulletin said the USA Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had indentified “31 accidents during the past 10 years”.

31 cases in 10 years were not many but the bulletin said “Nearly all of the accidents resulted in fatalities”. Just like this case in Miri.

I do not know how many cases there were in Sarawak in the past 10 years.  I believe not many, but when it happens, it could be fatal, like this one.

The question now is – if it is a safety problem, can it be prevented?

Yes, it can be prevented if you understand the Lock-out and Tag-out System.  When the dump truck bed is raised up (by whatever means), there is kinetic energy stored on the dump truck bed.  When it come down (by whatever causes), the kinetic energy is released.  The raised dump truck bed must be propped, blocked and tagged to prevent any possible unintended movement (lowering down or descending) of the dump truck bed to release the kinetic energy that is being stored.

How to prop, block and tag the dump truck bed?  Read the SHIB 09-18-2006 bulletin.

If I were a mechanic attempting to repair something underneath the raised dump truck bed, I will not place myself in danger unless the raised bed is securely propped, blocked and tagged.  I will use the original body prop provided by the car manufacturer, or the “Engineered truck bed brace brackets” as shown in the bulletin to block the raised bed.  I will not use any make-shift or temporary device as a block. At the meantime, Lock-out device and warning Tag will be used to ensure that while repairing work underneath the dump truck bed is going on,  there is absolutely no unauthorized action in the truck cabin to release the stored kinetic energy (to descend or cause to descend the dump truck bed).  It will insist, if any one of these is not done, I will not place myself in between the raised truck bed and the truck body to do any repair works, even if I am ordered to do so.

If I am an officer managing a workshop repairing dump truck, I will learn and train all my mechanics about the LOTO (Lock-Out, Tag-Out) system and observe the “Safety First” rules.  I will find out how to make the truck bed brace brackets to make sure that accident will have no chance to happen in my workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

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