Archives by: AME
MSB No. 175: Integrity of equaliser cables on vehicle hoist
Date: 25 May 2020
BackgroundThe Department has received numerous reports of failed and damaged equaliser cables on vehicle hoists, including those types with two or four posts.
The equaliser cables are typically made using steel wire rope and are used to keep the hoist level during raising and lowering. Over time, equaliser cables can stretch, fray, corrode, crack or break and therefore should be regarded as a wearing component.
Inspection and testing on equaliser cables should be carried out by competent persons, such as ...
Read more
Understanding “T” Tank Air Oil Separators.
Written by Stephen Ansell, Operations Manager at AME.
A Safety Guide
Air oil separators are used to remove the lubricating oils from air compressors. Oil is generally introduced into the system to lubricate the compressor screws. This oil then needs to be captured and returned to be reused, leaving compressed air free from lubricant oil.
The oil is retrieved through a process called coalescence, “co,” meaning together, and “alescence,” from the Latin word alescere, meaning to grow. The principle requires the suspended minute ...
Read more
SIR No. 276: Fall from height after failure of retractable type lanyard
Summary of incident
In June 2018, a scaffolder fell while crossing a void 5.7 metres above the ground. The scaffolder was wearing a fall arrest harness with a retractable type lanyard connected to a horizontal guardrail of a scaffold platform. When stepping 1.3 metres laterally to access a pipe support structure, the inertia reel mechanism of the lanyard engaged, impacting the scaffolder's balance. This caused the scaffolder to fall backwards through the void and swing against the scaffold structure. The webbing on ...
Read more
MSB No. 162: Inspection and maintenance of special purpose lifting plant and hoists
Date: 14 March 2019
Background
Mines inspectors repeatedly identify plant such as shaft reliners, hopper trolleys, workshop mobile jib cranes and other multi-purpose lifting devices in poor condition and without maintenance and inspection records. These are classified plant as defined in regulation 6.1 of the Mine Safety and Inspection Regulations 1995 (MSIR). For plant with a lifting capacity over 10 tonne, they are registerable as required by MSIR r. 6.34. All others are subject to duty of care requirements under MSIR r. 6.2.
Pdf ...
Read more
SIR No. 274: Structural failure of fixed conveyor stacker (18 March 2019)
Subject: Structural failure of fixed conveyor stacker
Date: 18 March 2019
Summary of incident
Note: The Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s investigation is ongoing.
The information contained in this significant incident report is based on materials received, knowledge and understanding at the time of writing.
In February 2019, a fixed conveyor stacker collapsed during normal operation. Other than the temperature reaching 47°C, there were no extreme weather events at the time nor any abnormal operational loads. It was not running at full capacity at ...
Read more
Identifying the Right Pressure Release Valve Thread Type
Onsite – size identification of BSP and NPT fittings
Thread types
Pressure Relief Valves (PRV’s) are devices used to release pressurised fluid from a wide variety of Pressure Vessels. PRV’s are used to maintain optimal pressure within a system, thus protecting the vessel from becoming overpressurized which can potentially cause damage or failure of a vessel. Pressure build-up related damage can be costly as well as a health and safety risk. PRV’s act as the main safety mechanism of a pressurized system (see ...
Read more
AME Sponsors Team Kennedy Racing for the 2018/2019 V8 Dirt Modified Season
Champion Driver Mat Kennedy does it again at Bunbury. Bunbury Speedway has been a happy hunting ground for the TKR Team in recent meetings. Mat recently won his 3rd Feature in succession at his favourite Bunbury Track.
Read more
Are your Crane & Hoist Wire Ropes in good, serviceable condition?
Wire ropes used in cranes & hoists for lifting purposes will experience deterioration throughout their entire service lives. Deterioration occurs through two principal mechanisms, namely, external and internal fatigue, which is caused by bending over sheaves or drum windings and crushing, which is caused by multilayer drum spooling. Another major cause of deterioration in a wire rope is the lack of lubrication.
What is external and internal fatigue?
During its operational life a wire rope is exposed to repetitive bending stresses. This will ...
Read more
Crane Incident Compilation
Crane failures continue to dominate the headlines, with several incidents that have occurred over the last few months. Many of these incidents are a result of overloading the crane or operating the crane outside of its working envelope.
Operating any crane beyond its rated capacity has the potential to cause a catastrophic failure of the crane, its support structure or both due to associated loss of control of the load. When control of the load is lost, workers ...
Read more
Mobile Crane Rollover results in Fatality
According to the Canberra Times, a tragic incident happened at a public hospital worksite in Canberra, when a 62-year-old construction worker was struck by a crane boom and died at the scene. The incident happened when a mobile crane was moving a large generator at a low height and rolled onto its side. It appears as though the boom of the crane, which was lifting the generator has struck the man when the crane rolled.
Ten co-workers rushed to ...
Read more
-
Recent Posts
-
© 2019 Asset Management Engineers. All Rights Reserved.