Truck driver badly injured in towing accident

Failed towing equipment has allegedly severely injured a Queensland truck driver.

According to a Workplace Health and Safety Queensland incident alert, the driver suffered severe abdominal injuries when a chain failed during a semi-trailer recovery operation during September 2018.

The chain was being used with other heavy vehicle recovery equipment including a pulley (snatch block), winch rope and hook to move the jack-knifed semi-trailer.

The incident alert said that the winch rope from the tow truck passed through a snatch block and then to the semi-trailer, so that it formed a ‘V’ when viewed from above. The snatch block was attached to a tree trunk using a chain. As tension was applied to the winch rope, the chain broke and the winch rope and snatch block recoiled towards the tow truck, striking the semi-trailer driver. Investigations are continuing.

The alert also said that vehicle recovery, especially recovery of trucks and semi-trailers, can be high risk due to the varying work tasks, environmental conditions, equipment requirements, time constraints and location of the immobilised vehicle.

The tow truck operator, workers or others in the immediate vicinity are at risk of being hit by moving parts of the vehicle and recovery equipment.

As such, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said that PCBUs should conduct a risk assessment of work practices, develop appropriate safe work systems, conduct appropriate training and ensure the system is enforced at the workplace.

Before commencing work, identify hazards and assess risks associated with recovering or working around heavy vehicles or trailers as part of the risk management process.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/vit