On 4 November 2016, a heavy steel material handling hoist bucket fell down an opal mine shaft, hitting a worker at the bottom of the shaft. The worker suffered fatal injuries.
The investigation has identified a potential safety issue with the hydraulic system, in particular the single acting counter balance valve. This issue may extend to other Agfab Super Hoists as well as other hoists with a similar design.
The present design of the hoist’s hydraulic system, with only a single acting counter balance valve, creates a hazard to operators in the event of a winch cable over-spool scenario.
Download the full alert here.