MANUFACTURERS of Australia's top four selling light commercial vehicles (LCVs) - Toyota HiLux, Nissan Navara, and Mitsubishi Triton - will no longer be allowed on BHP Billiton's mine sites this year.
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The mining giant introduced a policy in January to phase out all LCVs and four wheel drive accessories from their Australian mine sites that don't carry a five star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rating.
BHP's Cannington silver and lead mine, about 200 kilometres south east of Mount Isa, was one of the mines to put the policy in place.
While Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi may have had reason to protest over lost sales, the 4WD Industry Council (4WDIC) raised their concerns over the policy reducing driver safety.
4WDIC spokesperson Stuart Charity said although the group supported the move to keep drivers safe, the ban of standard safety accessories like bull bars, suspension modification and roll over protection equipment could cause workers more harm than good.
Mr Charity said the Australian four wheel drive aftermarket industry offered a wide range of Australian Design Rule (ADR) approved products which weren't always ANCAP rated but were designed specifically to protect vehicles and occupants in hostile and remote regions.
While driving on a mine site was slow and controlled, he said BHP also had a responsibility to protect their employees on their way too and from work.
"We believe the BHP policy actually increases risk to vehicle occupants - and will result in an increase in vehicle damage and immobilisation rates - when these vehicles are driven off mine sites in remote country, " Mr Charity said.
"Australian road users in remote areas understand the importance of protecting vehicles and their occupants in the event of an animal strike."
Mr Charity said bull bars were extremely valuable, not only in terms of the physical safety provided in a collision with an animal, but in preventing 'swerve to miss the animal' incidents.
A BHP spokesperson said the company did not plan on making any more statements about the policy change and directed anyone seeking more information about the changes to read BHP's latest sustainability report on their website.
It is understood Toyota have decided to respond to the policy change by releasing a five star ANCAP rated HiLux this year.
