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According to a safety alert issued by Queensland’s Department of Mines and Energy the trailer was being towed by a front end loader up a ramp before it disconnected.

A PJB man transporter which was escorting the front end loader was forced to take evasive action as a result.

“Fortunately no one was injured – however, there was potential for serious injury or fatality,” DME said.

DME comments on the incident reveal the loader operator reported a total of 12 engine cuts while towing the transformer up the ramp to the surface and the jerking movements from each cut appeared to have caused one of the two bow shackles to fail.

This failure from the primary attachment was followed by the disconnection of two securing safety chains used as the supplementary attachment.

DME has recommended the removal of malfunctioning or poorly performing equipment from service immediately after an issue is detected and for the use of appropriately designed primary attachment components to attach trailers to prime movers.

“Such components must be able to accommodate vertical, horizontal and rotational planes of movement that the vehicle and trailer will encounter,” DME said.

The department also recommended that towing attachment points and associated hardware meet rated capacities and are in a condition appropriate for the weights to be towed.

DME said hooks or retainers used should not be easily detached and to avoid the use of open throated hooks.

With regard to secondary retention systems, the department said they should be attached to points independent of the primary systems.