Overloaded excavator blamed for fatal rail maintenance accident near Launceston

An investigation into the fatal rail maintenance incident that occurred near Evandale in July 2022 found that the modified high rail excavator involved was operating beyond its working load limit.

An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation found that on July 20 the excavator became unstable and overturned while lifting an infrastructure trailer, killing the operator and injuring a spotter working nearby.

ATSB Transport Safety Director Kerri Hughes said the investigation found that the total load lifted, combined with the configuration of the excavator, exceeded the working load limit in both civil and high rail modes.

“Judging by the signage inside the excavator, it is very likely that the excavator regularly exceeds the working load limit for both road and high rail modes on jobs,” he said.

The investigation also revealed that a suspension sway lock system designed to provide stability and prevent unwanted movements during lifting was disabled at the time of the incident.

Hughes said the site superintendent was trained and qualified to operate the excavator but may have had limited experience with that model.

In response to the incident, TasRail implemented various safety measures, including an immediate ban on the use of road rail vehicle excavators in high rail mode.

The company also held an industry forum to develop a safe approach to restarting excavator operations, resulting in the creation of a process flow chart and a compliance checklist for the use of earthmoving equipment as lifting devices.

“This accident further highlights the critical need for equipment to be operated by qualified and experienced operators and for working load limits to be actively verified before embarking on a mission,” Hughes said.

“Additionally, selecting appropriate equipment that is fit for purpose reduces the risk of administrative risk controls becoming the last line of defence.”