Incident alert
ACTIVITY:
TRANSPORT / DELIVERY
SUB ACTIVITY:
MOBILE PLANT
TITLE
Volvo dumper fires
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
United Kingdom
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT DETAILS
WHAT HAPPENED?
On Friday 26th February 2004 the parking brake on a Volvo A40 caught fire when the vehicle was carrying scalpings across the quarry floor. An onboard fire extinguisher and three additional extinguishers were used to extinguish fire and cool the brake unit.
In the six months prior to this, there were two similar incidents involving A35 dumpers at Torr Works.
THE CAUSE
The A40 fire was attributed to an air leak in the brake chamber which caused air pressure to drop and park brake to apply. Friction then caused overheating of brake disc which ignited a build up of grease and debris in disc area.
The A35 fires involved in the first instance, a fracture in the bulk head air connection and in the second a leaking air seal in brake actuator cylinder. Again, these problems resulted in air pressure drop and subsequent events as above.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
To prevent similar incidents, the following has now been implemented and included in Local Operation Plan:
• Park brake area on Volvos will be inspected for grease and debris build up every 1,000 hrs, (approx every five months).
• Side inspection covers have been removed from the park brake area. This allows debris to escape the area, rather than build up.
• Preventative maintenance program now includes annual stripping of park brake cylinder and replacement of seals as necessary.
• Mechanical mechanism is stripped inspected and lubricated as necessary and any worn parts replaced.
• Service brakes are measured to determine wear levels and reported on relevant documentation.
Additionally, this incident highlights the importance of ensuring fire extinguishers are fitted to mobile plant and properly maintained.
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
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