It is essential that tyre removal, replacement and inflation
should be tackled only by competent staff and that staff comply with all
applicable fitting and safety instructions.
Manual handling injuries account
for nearly a half of all tyre-related incidents. Manual handling is the
lifting, carrying, supporting or moving of heavy or bulky loads by hand or
bodily force. These are usually caused as a result of a single lift of a heavy
object. This is the cause of over 30% of all injuries in motor vehicle repairs.
Less common but potentially more
dangerous are compressed air accidents of larger tyres. These can be from a ruptured or
burst tyre or violent separation of the component parts of the wheel. These
accidents are more serious and result in more serious injuries, including
fatalities.
The reasons are that inflated tyres contain a large amount
of stored energy, which varies according to the inflation pressure and the
surface area of the tyre (e.g. the sidewall of a typical commercial vehicle
tyre has to withstand over 34 tonnes of force from compressed air before
additional carriage weight is taken into account).
If the tyre fails, an explosive force can be released at an
angle of up to 45 degrees from the rupture, which is often, but not always, the
face of the sidewall. This has resulted in numerous fatalities over the years
in the UK and across the world.
Tyre damage can be difficult to see and
diagnose
As a safety precaution the condition of wheels and tyres
should be checked at the ‘before use’ inspection for defects such as fatigue
cracks in the wheel and bulges in the tyre wall. The person carrying out the examination
should be competent to examine the type of wheel.
If safety critical defects are identified the wheel/tyre
should be withdrawn from use. You should not attempt to repair a wheel as
repairs to wheels and their components can affect the strength and integrity of
the assembly. It is strongly recommended, for your own safety and efficiently, that
you contact a specialist tyre repair and replacement company.
