BHP fined $50,000

BHP has been fined after failing to ensure road access to one of its mine sites was safe, causing injury to a fuel delivery driver.

The company was fined $50,000 in Perth Magistrate’s Court yesterday after pleading guilty to the charge arising from the incident in 2016.

The Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) said Rod Addison drove a triple road train to deliver a load of fuel from the Linfox depot in Port Hedland to BHP’s Yandi mine site.

The unsealed road had been flooded by rain in the days prior to the incident causing significant damage, with potholes and mounts of dirt across the surface.

DMIRS said Mr Addison had maintained a speed of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour when the road train approached a steep hill climb and was impacted by the uneven road surface, causing the prime mover to bounce and the driver to injure his back.

The department concluded from its investigation into the incident that Mr Addison was unaware of the extent of road damage since there were no cones or warnings in place.

DMIRS mines safety director Andrew Chaplyn said the outcome could have been much more serious.

“There was a risk of the triple road train driver losing control, jack-knifing and rolling the trailers,” he said.

“The driver was able to keep the truck and trailers under control despite the prime mover bouncing around and impacting the uneven road surface with sufficient force to bend the bull bar back.”

Mr Chaplyn said BHP failed to ensure access to the mine site was safe.

“Ensuring safety measures were enforced for mine access roads could have prevented the incident,” he said.

“Clear signage, cones or barriers should have been in place warning of the hazard to alert road train drivers, and drivers should been allowed to use an existing alternative safe route.”

DMIRS said truck drivers have not used the road to access the Yandi site since the incident.