The Australian 4 Wheel Drive Industry is questioning the occupant safety protection afforded by the recent introduction by BHP Billiton of a new policy to limit light vehicle access to its mine sites in a phased approach from 2013 onwards to only vehicles with a Five Star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rating. The policy also prohibits the fitment of non ANCAP compliant bull bars and aftermarket suspension kits (and upgrades) as well as roll over protection. 

The policy applies to both BHP fleet and contractor owned vehicles on any BHP site anywhere in the world and to all new vehicles brought into service from January 2013 onwards. From 1 January 2016 no light vehicles will be allowed on BHP sites unless they meet these new requirements. 

Spokesperson Stuart Charity said the 4WD Industry Council (4WDIC) strongly supports the drive to improve vehicle occupant safety on and around mine sites. "On the surface, most people would view the BHP policy as a great step forward. However, the 4WDIC is disappointed at the lack of consultation and the 'one size fits all' policy outcome.

"Australia has a large and innovative 4WD aftermarket industry. It offers a wide range of Australian Design Rule (ADR) approved products designed to protect vehicles and occupants in our hostile remote regions.

"Among those proven products are bull bars, suspension enhancements for additional load bearing capacity and roll over protection systems (ROPS). The BHP policy takes little from the aftermarket industry's extensive knowledge and experience in engineering vehicles to suit their intended end use.

"The 4WDIC questions the BHP policy because the research and testing used to benchmark its new 'standard' was limited and because it has a narrow interpretation of occupant safety. The only data offered to support the policy relate to the well known benefits of electronic stability control and curtain airbags, as well as the interpreted results of limited crash and roll over tests conducted on four one tonne utes from the BHP fleet by Crashlab in Sydney.

"We understand these tests were conducted two months after BHP Billiton made its May 2012 policy announcement and to date BHP have failed to release the engineering data from these tests as they had originally committed to do.

"While the 4WDIC supports the move to ANCAP Five Star ratings for mining vehicles, we see no need to ban the fitment of safety equipment that does not adversely affect compliance with mandatory vehicle standards and does not reduce the safety performance of the vehicle. The 4WDIC believes this ban will result in vehicles that are less safe on public roads in remote areas," said Stuart Charity.

A policy for mine sites only

On mine sites, vehicles operate in a tightly controlled environment at lower speeds. However, good occupational health and safety policy must also consider travel to and from the work place.

Stuart Charity said on the way to and from mine sites, these BHP fleet and contractor vehicles will travel at normal speeds on public roads in rural and remote areas. A big danger in rural and remote Australia is animal strike, which is not factored into the ANCAP testing.

"We believe the BHP policy actually increases risk to vehicle occupants - and will result in an increase in vehicle damage and immobilisation rates - when these vehicles are driven off mine sites in remote country, " he said.

Analysis of New South Wales accident data reveals that within the state from 2001 to 2005 there were 11 fatal crashes, 1399 injury crashes, and 2532 non-casualty crashes attributed to swerving to avoid hitting an animal. Additionally during the same five year period there were 14 fatal crashes, 716 injury crashes, and 1751 non-injury crashes where an animal was the initial object hit.

A Rural and Remote Area Road Safety Study conducted from March 2004 to June 2007 in Northern Queensland reported a total of 532 serious road crashes, resulting in 600 human casualties: 29 (3 fatal and 26 hospitalised) where animals were involved.

Stuart Charity said bull bars are extremely valuable, not only in terms of the physical safety provided in a collision with an animal, but in preventing "swerve to miss the animal" incidents. "Often, drivers of non-bull bar equipped vehicles will take sudden evasive action, swerving to miss a large animal. Unfortunately this can result in a far worse outcome than had there been an initial collision with the animal," he said.

4WDIC research has shown that up to 74% of people who have encountered an animal strike collision believed that if their bull bar had not been fitted they would have had to swerve or take other evasive action.
4WDIC members have invested significant resources in the research, design, manufacture and testing of aftermarket components to protect light vehicles - and their occupants - from injury or death.

The industry has also developed specialist roll over protection equipment and sophisticated suspension components to upgrade vehicle safety while transporting heavy loads, cargo and occupants. Australia's leading edge technology in this field is recognised internationally with significant exports.

Next step to improved mine vehicle safety - industry consultation

"Australian road users in remote areas understand the importance of protecting vehicles and their occupants in the event of an animal strike," said Stuart Charity.

"BHP has formulated this policy without any consultation with their employees, contractors, relevant Unions or our industry. As a result we believe it will result in unintended consequences and will most likely increase employee and contractor risk, particularly on public roads.

“Since this policy announcement, we have met with ANCAP to encourage the integration of proven aftermarket equipment technologies to improve the safety of vehicles and occupants working in the mining industry.

"Unfortunately ANCAP will not approve any modification to a vehicle from its standard original equipment unless the product supplier has undertaken a physical crash test (64km frontal offset) for every brand of product on every model of vehicle. This is commercially unviable.

“In addition, as part of the ANCAP 'Roadmap', it is introducing a pedestrian protection rating score as part of their testing program. From 2014 onwards all 'high seat' vehicles introduced into the Australian market will require an 'acceptable' or higher pedestrian rating to achieve 5 stars and this ANCAP rating will also be applied to bull bars.

"The 4WDIC view is that it will be impossible to design and manufacture a 'fit for purpose' bull bar that meets this pedestrian performance criteria.  The result will be that it will be highly unlikely that any 5 star ANCAP rated bull bars will be commercially available from 2014 onwards.

“ANCAP are also introducing roof strength testing from 2014 as part of its 'Roadmap'. We question how occupant protection can be provided in vehicles involved in a rollover without ROPS installed, while there is no current testing completed to validate vehicle roof strength.  

"The 4WDIC calls on both ANCAP and BHP to take into account risks encountered both on mining sites and on public roads in remote areas. We ask ANCAP to review its regime to include tests that bring into focus the safety needs of those living and working in rural and remote Australia, where animal strike and roll overs are far more common than vehicle to pedestrian collisions.

"We look forward to progressing consultation to an outcome that truly protects vehicle occupants, regardless of whether they are on a mine site, or on the way home," said Stuart Charity.