Why Safety is paramount for Earthmover Tyre Solutions

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If safety critical defects are identified the wheel/tyre should be withdrawn from use.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.

The autoclave was a breakthrough in technology. It enables the repairing and re-treading of truck,  tractor and Earthmover tyres prolonging the life of expensive and in some cases hard to source tyres. The majority of damaged side walls, tread damage, cuts and slices can now be a thing of the past.

Autoclaves are mainly used for Earthmover Tyres. This clever technology accommodates different tyre sizes. Happily we will shortly have the largest Auto clave in the north of England. The machines are completely insulated and are equipped with hydraulic system to close the door and with manual, automatic and emergency safety systems.

Our new autoclave means we will be able to repair and retread the majority of large earthmover tyres.

Driffield Show

June is a busy month for us as we gear up for Driffield show. This is our first county show and we are planning for more to follow as a way to meet our existing customers, find new ones and generally spread the word about what we do. We will be sending out invites with details of how to find us and we will be holding a competition with an exciting prize!

We want to use Driffield show to demonstrate what we do and we have a trailer with refreshments and images of some of our work. We'll also be bringing along one of our big trucks and a very large tyre to demonstrate what we typically do on a day to day basis with our 24 hour call out and tyre repairs.

At Earthmover Tyre Solutions we have custom-built specialised vehicles for earthmover tyre fitting, for a variety of different industries, including port side, quarries and agriculture. Our Driffield show stand will showcase more on what we do and you will be able to find out more about our Auto Clave. This fantastic piece of equipment, which we use for repairing damaged tyres, is the largest of its type in the north of England.

Come along to see us at Driffield show and meet us, Jason and Sadie who run Earthmover Tyre Solutions and find out how we can help you with your day to day tyre management .

Did you know that Driffield show is the biggest one day county show in the UK. As you would imagine in such a rural area the show is aimed at the agricultural industry. One of our growing customer bases is this industry and we work with a number of contractors and farmers, so Driffield Show is perfect for us to showcase how we work with agricultural industry.

Repairing Wheels and Tyres on Agricultural Land

As spring is under way, the farming and agricultural industry is gearing up for another busy season. Field-work means vehicles and tyres must be safely and properly inflated for meting heavy workloads and busy schedules.

Wheel changing of large agricultural vehicles is not easy and safety has to be paramount. In open uneven ground the situation can be even more complicated. Tyres can explode if they are not inflated safely. Serious accidents, including fatalities, have been caused by unsafe practices during wheel and tyre changing and when inflating tyres.

The average size of wheels and tyres has increased significantly, they are now heavier and therefore more difficult to hold and manoeuvre than ever before. As a result changing tyres now creates a greater risk of manual handling injuries.Whether the job is part of routine maintenance, or as a result of a puncture or tyre damage, tyre, wheel repair and replacement should only be tackled by competent staff.

Recovering or repairing wheels and tyres in the field for tractors or larger agricultural vehicles brings new hazards and creates additional risks. It is safer to attempt the repair in a workshop or use a specialist contractor. Doing this will keep you safe and save you time and money.

Wherever you tackle repairs yourself safety is paramount. Factors to consider may include:

• The impact of adverse weather conditions such as wind or rain
• Poor lighting, e.g. at dusk or during stormy weather
• Wet and soft ground conditions
• Safety when working at height

Your specialist contractor will understand all of the safety issues for changing tyres on farms and agricultural land and will have the specialist equipment to make changing and repairing your tyres safe and efficient. We always plan the job and use safe systems of work whether in our own workshop or in your field and farm yard.

Vehicle tyres don't last forever.....

Do you have a fleet of earthmover vehicles that play an integral part of your business, be it for transporting construction material, goods, digging, pulling or agricultural vehicles? Then you need to keep your fleet moving and know that your vehicles tyres are safe and reliable.

But problems with large tyres are not always easily identifiable and can occur when you least expect them or are at least prepared! A reliable tyre contractor will be able to help even in the most difficult uneven and rocky terrain where punctures can occur. A reliable contractor will respond quickly to your call and will work hard to keep your fleet moving.

Look out for a contractor with the right equipment to handle large earth moving tyres, to undertake on site repairs and supply quality reliable, new and second hand tyres. A contractor that offers good sound advice on whether your tyre is repairable, repair it on-site and ensure your vehicle is back on the road as quickly as possible.

Earthmover tyres do all this and we also offer tyre management services to help you plan, forecast and budget. We provide a UK wide on-site tyre service which allows us to expertly repair any number of earth mover, agricultural and construction vehicles. We are licensed tyre dealers with expertise and experience of the entire earthmover industry and we supply second hand or new replacements, on-site or at our tyre handling premises.

Why Earthmover Tyre Solutions?

• We come to you no matter where you are
• On-Site advice to help you make the right decision
• If we buy your tyres, we'll arrange all transport and give you a competitive price
• We conduct and monitor all operations using the best practicable means to protect the environment
• Health and Safety assured
• All the tyres we purchase are reused for re-tread, reconditioning or are recycled

Tyre Recycling

Did you Know?

In 2006 over 100,000 worn tyres were taken off cars, trucks and earthmover vehicles. About 70% of these tyres were recycled, 28% were added to landfill or stockpiled and created a major waste problem.

Piles of stockpiled tyres can present a fire hazard, even tyres in landfill sites can be ignited.  Once started, these fires are difficult to extinguish and can burn for days as we often see in the news. Burning tyres give off some serious pollutants including water borne pollutants.  Tyres in landfill sites can be unstable and tend to rise to the surface, creating potential  fire hazards and limiting options for future land use.

Now under the EU Landfill Directive whole tyres including agricultural and earthmover tyres are banned from  landfill.  Small numbers of discarded tyres are being given new life as boat fenders and playground equipment. However in reality re-treading of used tyres and recovery of materials are the main methods of recycling.

For trucks, retreading is a well-established part of tyre management, reducing both cost and environmental impact. When the time comes to change your tyres, you can reduce the impact of tyres on the environment by opting for a retreaded tyre?

Re-treading doubles the life of a tyre, reducing the numbers of new tyres needed and minimising waste.  There are two methods of retreading tyres. The pre-cure process involves bonding a new rubber tread onto the prepared tyre casing. In the mould-cure process, uncured rubber is applied to the casing and vulcanised in a mould to give the new tread. For truck tyres 8 retreads are sold for every 10 new tyres.

Earthmover Tyre Solutions Autoclave

Approximately 500,000 tonnes of used tyres are created from tyre sales outlets and vehicle dismantlers. About 80% of used tyre arising are collected and processed by operators subscribing to the Industry’s Responsible Recycler Scheme.

Recovery of materials from tyres has become more efficient. The main technique is to shred and reduce the rubber to crumb, and use this as a moulding material or filler.  Applications include brake linings, carpet underlay, equestrian, sports and safety surfaces, including playgrounds, as well as surfacing for roads, paths, and low grade use as landscape mulch or waste oil absorbent.

To reduce waste and save money, to treat your tyres properly for maximum tyre life.  See our blog post for hints and tips on how to do this.