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What happened?
A vacuum truck driver lost control of the vehicle when the steering wheel came off the steering column.
While descending a small hill, the steering wheel came off the column. The driver tossed it to the side, and attempted to use the steering column to control the unit while carefully applying the brakes. The vehicle went off the road, travelled through the ditch, and came to a stop in some small trees. The driver was uninjured and the empty vacuum unit stayed upright.
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Why did it happen?
Mechanical failure of the locking mechanism of the steering wheel.
Contributing factors:
The steering wheel locking nuts were loose and came off completely when pressure was applied to the wheel. The locking mechanism failed due to the repeated use of the steering wheel as leverage to enter the cab and to adjust seat position.
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What did they learn?
- Drivers should inspect all equipment before and after use.
- Steering wheel locking nuts, tabs or pins should be inspected regularly, as per the manufacturer schedule.
- Owner has added steering wheel securement to their maintenance inspections.
- Owner has checked their entire fleet to ensure all steering wheel nuts are secure.
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Ask yourself or your crew
- How can something like this happen here (e.g. on our site)?
- What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?
- How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?
- What improvements or changes should we make to the procedures, controls/barriers or the way we work?
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What happened?
A vacuum truck driver lost control of the vehicle when the steering wheel came off the steering column.
While descending a small hill, the steering wheel came off the column. The driver tossed it to the side, and attempted to use the steering column to control the unit while carefully applying the brakes. The vehicle went off the road, travelled through the ditch, and came to a stop in some small trees. The driver was uninjured and the empty vacuum unit stayed upright.
Why did it happen?
Mechanical failure of the locking mechanism of the steering wheel.
Contributing factors:
The steering wheel locking nuts were loose and came off completely when pressure was applied to the wheel. The locking mechanism failed due to the repeated use of the steering wheel as leverage to enter the cab and to adjust seat position.
What did they learn?
- Drivers should inspect all equipment before and after use.
- Steering wheel locking nuts, tabs or pins should be inspected regularly, as per the manufacturer schedule.
- Owner has added steering wheel securement to their maintenance inspections.
- Owner has checked their entire fleet to ensure all steering wheel nuts are secure.
Ask yourself or your crew
- How can something like this happen here (e.g. on our site)?
- What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?
- How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?
- What improvements or changes should we make to the procedures, controls/barriers or the way we work?
A vacuum truck driver lost control of the vehicle when the steering wheel came off the steering column, causing the vehicle to go off the road. The driver was uninjured, and the empty vacuum unit stayed upright.
Original material courtesy of Energy Safety Canada
