HAZARD ALERT

Industry: Service Age: 40 years Experience: Unknown Area: Central Interior

Worker pinned underneath

heavy mining equipment
While a worker was servicing a piece of heavy mining equipment (a scooptram), the machine was elevated and the tires
were removed. When the scooptram had been elevated, it had been supported at each end with wooden blocking. After
the worker serviced and reinstalled the tires, he further raised the rear end of the scooptram with a 20-ton air/hydraulic
jack to remove the wooden blocking. As the worker climbed under the scooptram to get the wooden blocks, the air/
hydraulic jack failed and the rear of the scooptram dropped 18 cm (7 inches). The worker was pinned under the
scooptram and sustained a broken pelvis and tailbone.
An investigation determined the cause of the accident to be the failure of the air/hydraulic jack. The air/hydraulic jack’s
extension screw retaining pin was extremely worn out allowing the screw to be out of the base. The extension screw was
screwed into the jack’s threaded base by only one and a half threads instead of the four to five threads needed to support
the weight of the scooptram. This lack of support for the threads caused the air/hydraulic jack to fail.

Safe work practices:

• Inspect and maintain threaded jack extensions to acceptable tolerances and the manufacturer’s specifications.
• Ensure that workers are properly trained in the safe use of the equipment.
• Securely block elevated equipment any time a worker is working underneath it.

The WCB has a wide range of health and safety information. For assistance
and information on workplace health and safety, call toll-free within B.C.
INJURY
1 888 621-SAFE (7233) or visit our web site at www.WorkSafebc.com. 03–15