Fatigue Attributed to the Death of a Prime Mover Driver - WSH Bulletin

16 Nov 2009

Incident In this incident, a Terminal Prime Mover (TPM-2) in a container port swerved and collided onto the rear of another TPM (TPM-1) travelling in the opposite direction (Figure 1). As a result of the collision, the driver of TPM-2 was thrown out of the cabin and subsequently died in hospital.

Summary of Findings Investigation revealed that the incident occurred primarily due to Man (driver of TPM-2), with Management as a contributory factor. The driver did not take care of his own safety and health by adhering to the “Compulsory Short Break” (CSB) as required by the Management. He also did not fasten his seat belt, and the fatigue arising from long hours of work might have caused him to lose control of his TPM, and prevent him from applying the emergency brake in time. Management contributed to the incident by not having a well designed work schedule for the drivers. Although Management instituted a good concept in CSB, it was inadequate for the drivers to recuperate sufficiently. For more details and information, click Here for the Lessons Learnt Case Report which describes the incident details, and highlights recommendations to prevent similar accidents from happening.