TRUCKS & TRANSPORT
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“We know that vehicles need to be modified for their end use - we’ve got supporting data to prove that,” he said. “We’ve given that [to] BHP, they’ve chosen to ignore that.” He added that vehicles are built off global platforms and sold into 40 different countries. “We don’t believe they’re designed for the end use of mining applications,” he said. According to Global NCAP, BHP’s decision was based on recent research at Crashlab in Sydney, to assess if bullbars and ROPS contribute to an increased risk of injury to The discussion of ANCAP ratings over ROPS is whether safety is compromised. vehicle occupants. In its testing, four Toyota Hilux figurations, the results showed: of side curtain airbags for the front dual cabs were used – three of these • for the corkscrew rollover test the and rear seat occupants greatly invehicles were fitted with ROPS and ROPS structure appeared to increases the risk of serious head or one without. All four test vehicles crease propensity for the vehicle brain injuries in side impacts (with were fitted with a steel bullbar. to roll by increasing the centre of trees, poles and other vehicles). The vehicle fitted with ROPS gravity height. • the bull bar fitted to the frontal rolled 180 degrees onto its roof in • ROPS did not eliminate roof crush offset crash test vehicle caused inthe first test. The vehicle without over the front seated occupants trusion into the footwell and disROPS rolled onto its side. The veand, for a rollover of this type and placement of pedals which was not hicle without ROPS was re-tested severity, the ROPS demonstrated present in the ANCAP test of the with 35kgs of ballast above the rear limited potential to reduce the risk same vehicle without a bull bar. screen of the cab (to simulate the of serious injury to the front seat However, Susie Bozzini, a reweight of ROPS at roof level) and occupants. searcher at the Center of Injury rerolled ROPS is not convinced. A D onto _ A Mits T roof. R E F E B _ 1 2 . p d f • any Pa g e 1 structure 5 / 0 1 which / 1 2 ,pre-3 : search 2 9 in P California, M For these vehicles and test convents as-designed deployment “Production vehicles generally Tread-AustralianHorizontal1-2pg2Page 1 the 12/19/11 1:15:13 AM
have weak roofs: they crush at the front pillar when the windshield breaks and the roof caves in on the front seat occupants,”she explained. “BMA ran a test with a production vehicle with a weak roof and the roof crushed significantly. Then BMA performed the same test on the same vehicle with an internal 4-posted ROPS structure. This type of structure is fitted behind the front seats at the B-Pillar area and extends rearward to the C-Pillar. This internal ROPS works when the vehicle rolls without forward pitch, meaning nose down. However, when a vehicle rolls over with pitch, the forces are on the front of the roof at the A-Pillar and windshield header. “So, it is not surprising that BMA got the same result with a production vehicle and an internal 4-posted ROPS for the type of test they did “I believe their goal was to be able to say that ROPS didn’t make a difference, so why spend the money on them?” she said. However one miner, who has worked in the industry for a number of years, told Australian Mining that “I can honestly say after being in mine vehicles with and without ROPS, I prefer the w/o ROPS for my safety.
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