A fitter jump-started a light vehicle that had a flat battery. The vehicle was parked outside a workshop. The fitter walked back to the workshop to return the jumper leads. While he was away from the vehicle, it rolled about 30 m and collided with an articulated water truck. When the fitter came back from the workshop and noticed the vehicle had rolled away and hit the water truck, he ran to it and stopped the engine, put it in gear and applied the handbrake.
Recommendations to industry: Park-up procedures for light vehicles should be reviewed, especially when workers are in or around the light vehicles.
Procedures should consider:
- the use of wheel chocks
- stable parking.
Personal risk assessments should consider gravity as a hazard. Refer to safety bulletin SB13-02, Unplanned movements of vehicles – too many near misses
