Supagas Pty Ltd, a national gas distributer, has been fined $50,000 after one of their gas cylinder delivery trucks lost a wheel and crashed on a major Melbourne tollway in 2019. The truck was travelling on the Eastlink toll road when the wheel came loose, causing the truck to lose control and roll over, spilling about 200 gas cylinders across the road.
WorkSafe’s investigation has found that the truck’s wheel nuts had not been correctly tensioned, causing the outer wheel to separate from the wheel assembly. The failure of Supagas to implement basic safety checks of the wheel nuts put the driver and public at significant risk.
WorkSafe deemed it to be reasonably practicable for Supagas to have provided and maintained a system of work for ensuring the wheel nuts of heavy vehicles are properly tensioned.
Simple ways for employers to manage work-related vehicle risks include – appropriate safe systems of work implemented, monitored and reviewed; regular vehicle inspections, servicing and maintenance; pre-operations checks conducted daily on all essential components; appropriate information, instruction and training.
Read more: $50K fine after truck rollover causes traffic chaos | WorkSafe Victoria