A 16-tonne gearbox collapsed from a stacker reclaimer during normal operations, damaging surrounding structures and starting a small fire. A worker extinguished the fire with a water hose and no injuries occurred.
The gearbox fell from its installed position onto the deck below, where personnel could access walkways beneath the equipment. Emergency response procedures isolated the plant and secured the area. Investigators found that a seized bearing left the gearbox unsupported, causing the drive torque arm to fail and the assembly to collapse.
The incident shows how failures in critical mechanical components can create dropped-object, structural and line-of-fire hazards with the potential for serious or fatal consequences. It demonstrates the importance of asset integrity, condition monitoring and maintenance strategies that identify deteriorating components before they result in catastrophic equipment failure.
Takeaways
- Maintain asset integrity: Inspect and maintain critical mechanical components to identify deterioration before failure occurs.
- Review condition monitoring: Confirm monitoring systems can detect bearing degradation and other developing faults in critical drive equipment.
- Manage dropped-object hazards: Identify where falling equipment could strike workers and restrict access beneath elevated plant.
- Investigate warning signs: Examine abnormal vibration, temperature trends and other indicators of emerging defects.
- Assess maintenance programs: Review preventive maintenance strategies to ensure they remain effective as plant ages and operating conditions change.
- Prepare for emergencies: Implement response procedures that support rapid isolation of plant and control secondary hazards such as fire.
