Safety alert - tyre exploded during inflation

According to a report from NSW Trade & Investment, a tyre on an underground development jumbo exploded shortly after being topped up with compressed nitrogen in a surface workshop, injuring one person.

The development jumbo had been driven to the surface for a routine service. Maintenance personnel noticed a tyre was under inflated so it was reinflated using nitrogen from a cylinder. Minutes after the inflator was disconnected, the tyre exploded. The side wall of the tyre ruptured and pieces of rubber were forcibly ejected, damaging the jumbo’s wheel guard and making a hole in the workshop’s sheet-metal cladding.

The investigation into the incident has revealed a number of causes and the Mine Safety (NSW Government) department has made recommendations for the mining industry to avoid similar incidents.

To view the safety alert SA13-10 Tyre exploded during inflation, please visit www.nsw.gov.au/safety/safety-alerts.