Authorities examined a movement controller after machinery failed to stop.
Resources Safety and Health Queensland recently investigated what caused remote equipment to operate uncontrolled at an undisclosed Queensland coal mine.
“The machine continued to operate for a short period of time, resulting in an unplanned movement/failure to stop. The remote-control actuators were found to be stuck in the operating position due to the ingress of foreign material into the remote-control actuators,” the coal inspectorate said in a safety alert.
The following recommendations were made:
- turn off remote controllers when not in use
- review the process for pre-operational testing and visual inspection of remote controllers
- ensure pre-operational checks for testing and visual inspection of remote controllers are in place
- train employees in identifying ingress protection defects in actuators and do not use until rectified
- maintain remote controllers at a frequency as per site and original equipment manufacturer maintenance requirements (checklists and work orders)
- remove remote controllers with damaged ingress protection of the actuators from service, even if pre-operational function tests are acceptable.
Investigations continue.
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