NSW mining hit by spike in heavy vehicle rollovers, with 40 incidents in 12 months prompting urgent safety overhaul across haul roads and tip sites

Haul truck rollover scene showing tub tipped after reversing into windrow, highlighting vehicle stability risks and poor ground conditions.
By Staff Writer on June 8, 2025
Safety, Incident Reporting, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Mine Profiles
Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley, Illawarra Region, Central West Region
Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Construction Materials

A surge in heavy vehicle rollovers across New South Wales mining operations has triggered a formal safety bulletin from the NSW Resources Regulator, urging immediate risk-based interventions to stem the trend.

The bulletin, issued in May 2025, reports a troubling 40 vehicle interaction incidents notified over the past 12 months, cutting across coal, construction, metalliferous, and industrial mineral sites. Of these, more than half originated in coal mining operations. Articulated trucks accounted for 13 of the incidents, with dozers, rigid off-highway trucks, and truck-trailer combinations also featuring heavily.

Investigations attributed the incidents to three key factors:

  1. Poor ground conditions at tipping and dumping sites,

  2. Hang-up and carry-back in haul truck trays disrupting balance,

  3. Running out loads while in motion.

The bulletin stresses that many of these incidents could have been prevented through improved operational oversight and adherence to safety protocols. Specifically, it calls for:

  • Regular inspection and maintenance of haul roads and dump areas,

  • Proper tray clearing to ensure load stability,

  • Avoidance of run-out tipping unless risk-assessed,

  • Adequate bunding and windrows at tipping sites.

Mine operators are instructed to adopt a structured, risk-assessed approach to vehicle interactions, incorporating human and organisational factors into hazard management planning. The regulator also recommends sites investigate collision-avoidance technologies and establish dedicated light vehicle separation routes.

Visuals included in the bulletin show several dramatic examples of recent rollovers. One depicts a haul truck that reversed into a windrow, causing the tub to tip and spill its load. Another shows a toppled articulated vehicle that lost control at a corner due to compromised road conditions.

Reversing into windrow resulting in tub section rolling and discharging load.

Loss of control on corner resulting in rear tub rolling.

Road conditions contribute to rollover of rear tub.

With wet weather recovery cited as a compounding risk factor, operators are urged to reinforce control measures and reinforce situational awareness among drivers.

The NSW Resources Regulator has made the full bulletin and supporting alerts—including those concerning brake failures and overtaking risks—available on its website, urging mining operations to distribute and discuss the document widely throughout their workforces.

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