Undetected salt corrosion and erosion in steering system causes tanker truck rollover

What happened?

A truck/tanker was transporting produced water from a gas processing facility.

The vehicle rolled over on a road during the journey.

The driver and passenger suffered minor injuries and less than 1 barrel of water was released.

Emergency response was quickly initiated after the incident. The truck/tanker was recovered after de-bunkering the load.

The consequences of the incident were minimised through full compliance with road transport controls.

The turned over tanker positioned between the road and the side of the road.

Why did it happen?

The steering rod separated completely from the ball stud (see diagram).

The driver felt he was unable to steer and pushed the brakes, which activated the electronic braking system (EBS). The truck made a harsh turn to the right.

Technical inspection of the steering system revealed that salt corrosion and erosion took place inside the joint over a period of time.

Corrosion started after salt/dampness contamination occurred in the joint due to damage/small cracks developing on rubber boot.

The ball passed all monthly visual and mechanical tests and remained in use.

The steering rod separated completely from the ball stud

What did they learn?

Verify that computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) incorporates recommended maintenance and inspection standards for (safety) critical systems.

Develop assurance programme to provide evidence of compliance with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) - based on CMMS and the local regulatory requirements for vehicle roadworthiness.

Ask yourself or your crew

How do you know if maintenance and inspections on vehicles is effective and in accordance with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) requirements?

If this happened to you, what measures could be taken to minimise the impact? Think about:

Planning the journey
Behaviours while driving

What controls do we have in place to prevent this from happening to you? How can we improve?

What happened?

A truck/tanker was transporting produced water from a gas processing facility.
The vehicle rolled over on a road during the journey.
The driver and passenger suffered minor injuries and less than 1 barrel of water was released.
Emergency response was quickly initiated after the incident. The truck/tanker was recovered after de-bunkering the load.
The consequences of the incident were minimised through full compliance with road transport controls.
Why did it happen?

The steering rod separated completely from the ball stud (see diagram).
The driver felt he was unable to steer and pushed the brakes, which activated the electronic braking system (EBS). The truck made a harsh turn to the right.
Technical inspection of the steering system revealed that salt corrosion and erosion took place inside the joint over a period of time.
Corrosion started after salt/dampness contamination occurred in the joint due to damage/small cracks developing on rubber boot.
The ball passed all monthly visual and mechanical tests and remained in use.
What did they learn?

Verify that computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) incorporates recommended maintenance and inspection standards for (safety) critical systems.
Develop assurance programme to provide evidence of compliance with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) - based on CMMS and the local regulatory requirements for vehicle roadworthiness.
Ask yourself or your crew
How do you know if maintenance and inspections on vehicles is effective and in accordance with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) requirements?
If this happened to you, what measures could be taken to minimise the impact? Think about:
- Planning the journey
- Behaviours while driving
What controls do we have in place to prevent this from happening to you? How can we improve?