Bus roll-away incident triggers safety warning from SafeWork SA

Bus Roll-Away Incident Triggers Safety Warning from SafeWork SA

SafeWork SA has issued a safety warning following a recent incident where a bus rolled away down a slight incline and struck its driver, causing serious injuries.

"The Barossa Valley incident occurred on 20 February 2025 after the driver stopped the bus. She left the bus and was inspecting it when it rolled about 10 metres down an incline, knocking her down and rolling over her," SafeWork SA said.

SafeWork inspectors visited the scene, and further investigations are being conducted into what caused the bus to roll away unexpectedly.

Roll-Away Fatalities Across South Australia

Data from SafeWork SA reveals that over the past three years, four workers in South Australia have died after being struck by a roll-away vehicle, including three South Australian deaths linked directly to this hazard category.

A roll-away incident occurs when plant or a vehicle moves unintentionally as a result of insufficient immobilisation. This risk applies across industries wherever mobile plant or vehicles operate near personnel on foot.

Common Causes of Vehicle Roll-Away Hazards

Typically, the primary factor contributing to such incidents is failure to engage the handbrake, or a handbrake that proves ineffective once engaged. Other contributing hazards can include:

• Parking plant or vehicles on sloped or uneven surfaces without adequate immobilisation
• Leaving plant unattended while running or without chocks in place
• Poorly maintained braking systems that fail to hold plant securely on an incline
• Insufficient risk assessment before stopping vehicles on sloping terrain

Employers should review how they manage this risk by ensuring drivers and operators are trained to recognise these hazards before leaving plant unattended, particularly on sloped surfaces where risk of movement increases significantly.

For guidance on managing similar hazards involving mobile plant, see our previous coverage of deaths and injuries from 'run away' farm equipment, which prompted a comparable safety warning. Organisations seeking to strengthen broader workplace protocols may also find value in reviewing our Electrical Safety Policy and related Workplace Safety Rules documentation for practical implementation examples.

Businesses operating plant across multiple sites can benefit from centralised documentation systems; our Safety Software solutions help teams track inspections, maintenance schedules and incident reporting in one place.

Read more here, and explore related coverage on a fall from roof that prompted a SafeWork SA safety warning for further insight into how the regulator responds to serious workplace incidents.