You Cannot Inspect Torque With Your Eyes

On 22 Oct 19, Dean Anson Sanderson and Shannon Sanderson were travelling together on an 86-metre zipline at Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours near Cape Tribulation, Queensland. The upper wire-rope-grip termination failed, allowing the line to disengage and causing both patrons to fall, killing Dean and leaving Shannon with serious injuries.The hardware had been inspected, but a visual inspection could not establish whether the grips had been tightened to the required torque or whether the termination remained capable of carrying the forces imposed upon it. You can inspect whether the nuts are present, admire their general shininess and tick the corresponding box, but you cannot inspect torque with your eyes.In this episode, Jon examines the difference between inspection and verification, the task-specific meaning of competence, role drift, plant alterations, safety-critical maintenance, independent assurance and officer due diligence. He also considers why emergency arrangements must be tested against the actual consequences of a failure, particularly where access, rescue and medical response are difficult.The lessons extend well beyond adventure tourism. They apply wherever life depends on torque, friction, terminations or critical connections, including lifting equipment, load restraint, fall-protection systems, towing arrangements and other safety-critical plant.At the time of publication, the Coroners Court of Queensland lists the inquest into Dean Sanderson’s death as adjourned, with the date for findings still to be confirmed. This episode discusses published regulatory information and issues examined through the coronial process, but does not present unfinished coronial findings as settled conclusions.Further reading:Safety Jon, Lessons From a Queensland Zipline FatalityWorkplace Health and Safety Queensland, Zip line (flying fox) terminationsWorkplace Health and Safety Queensland, Zip line anchorage failureCoroners Court of Queensland, Inquest proceedings listFor further workplace incident analysis, practical risk guidance and new episodes of The Real Risk Podcast, visit Safety Jon.