A County Armagh based agricultural and construction machinery manufacturer has issued a warning to owners and operators of one of its dump trailers as investigations into a fatal accident two years ago continue.
NC Engineering (Hamiltonsbawn) Ltd has issued an urgent warning regarding its NC 300 Series Power Tilt dump trailer following a serious incident with the tail door section of the trailer in the Republic of Ireland.
NC 300 Series Power Tilt dump trailer
A young man in his late teens was fatally injured in October 2015 when he tried to unblock the tail door on the dump trailer he was operating after a stone got jammed there.
The company has called on users of this trailer with the power tilt door to contact their local NC dealer for further information.
In particular, the company has recalled the 300 Series Power Tilt dump trailer manufactured after 2007 to have a retrofit kit fitted.
In a statement NC Engineering said: “On trailers manufactured prior to 2007 a door mechanism which is not freely moveable or damaged must be replaced before the trailer is used.
“On trailers manufactured from 2007 a retrofit kit must be fitted by an NC dealer. A safe system of work for clearing blockages, examples of possible damage and further details on replacement parts for both trailer models are available from all NC dealers.
“If an object becomes trapped between the tail door and the chassis the operation of the rear door may be compromised, particularly if the door mechanism is damaged.
“In this situation the action of clearing the blockage could result in a person being struck by the door if the correct procedure is not followed.
“If you own a dump trailer with a Power Tilt door contact your local NC dealer for further details. Always quote the trailer serial number when contacting the NC dealer,” the company said.
Details of how to safely remove blockages in this tail door, should they occur, can also be found on the NC Engineering website under safety alert.
A company spokesman added: “NC has co-operated fully with the Health and Safety Authority in Ireland regarding its investigation into this accident which happened two years ago with a NC 300 Series Power Tilt dump trailer.
“We have made thousands of these trailers and have never received any complaints about blockages.
“We want to ensure all operators are clear on the correct procedure of unblocking the door in the unlikely event of a blockage occurring.
“The design was changed in 2007 but the chances of a blockage occurring in any of the 300 Series Power Tilt dump trailers with the Power Tilt door are unlikely.
“For the trailer manufactured before 2007, if the mechanisms on the tilt door are undamaged then it should operate fine, but if something is damaged then it needs to be corrected before using.
“For the trailer manufactured post 2007 we urge all owners to contact their NC dealer to have a retrofit kit fitted to all those particular models,” he said.
