The driver and two passengers, with their underground safety gear, were travelling to their job site.

After the incident, the driver reported the loss of control of the brakes and transmission and turned the vehicle into the wall to bring it to a halt. There were no

significant injuries.

This type of vehicle is commonly supplied with a bucket seat and lap/sash seatbelt for the driver, and a “three quarter” bench seat for passengers with a lap/sash seatbelt for the passenger near the door and a lap belt only for the middle passenger.

An investigation by the NSW Mine Safety Unit concluded that the cabin of the vehicle was not equipped to safely accommodate three people and this contributed to the transmission being knocked into neutral, and to the failure of the driver to properly control the vehicle.

It recommended that mines should conduct a risk assessment for the operation of personnel transport vehicles to determine the number of passengers that can be carried safely in the cabin, in a manner that will not pose a risk to the proper control of the vehicle by the driver.

“Mines should ensure that all passengers carried in personnel transport vehicles have access to seats and seatbelts that are suitable for the level of risk and provide a level of protection that is equivalent to that provided to the driver,” it said.