A worker has suffered significant injuries after falling from a stationary excavator.
The incident occurred when a contractor was pressure cleaning on a platform at the front of a hydraulic excavator.
While cleaning the boom cylinder mount, the worker put weight against the platform’s gate stanchion. The stanchion post subsequently failed resulting in the worker falling 4 metres to the ground.
The worker suffered multiples fractures to the leg.
Factors found to have contributed to the incident include:
- Modifications to the access platform from the original equipment manufacturer’s design
- The guardrail design did not meet earthmoving machinery access guidelines
- A flaw in the weld attaching the gate stanchion post to the base plate.
Following investigation, the Resources Regulator has made numerous recommendations including regular defect inspections of guardrail and handrails, engineering verification of completed modifications and Take 5 risk assessments.
Read Safety Alert SA26-02 Fall from excavator breaks workers legs (PDF, 638.74 KB)
