9th October 2013. The fatal truck explosion in Sydney which left two people dead has sparked wider road safety concerns. The major transport company involved has since had 71 of its trucks grounded with serious defects.
Authorities are now considering expanding their investigations into the safety of other freight companies that carry dangerous goods around the country amid serious questions about the adequacy of truck safety checks.
Last week’s tragic crash in the northern Sydney suburb of Mona Vale killed two men and left five people in hospital, some with severe burns. NSW Roads and Maritime Services heavy vehicle inspectors and NSW Police are continuing to audit the trucking company involved in the tragic crash.
In an effort to prevent a similar tragedy in WA, officers from WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP), Main Roads, Department of Transport and WA Police have teamed together for ‘Operation Mona Vale.’
As part of this operation, Dangerous Goods Officers from the DMP spent yesterday in Kwinana inspecting similar trucks. So far, 23 petrol tankers were stopped. Eight were issued defect notices and two were given dangerous goods notices. The defects included oil leaks, fuel leaks and inaccessible fire extinguishers. It was reported that the DMP plans to conduct many more of these traffic stops.
DMP have urged all transport companies to take a very close look at their fleet.
To read the full DMP article click here