Incident alert
ACTIVITY:
MAINTENANCE & HOUSEKEEPING
DATE ISSUED:
31/05/2016 12:13:15
TITLE
Tyre fitter trapped under foam filled tyre
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
United Kingdom
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT DETAILS
A contract tyre fitter (IP) working on a hired loading shovel suffered bruising to his right arm and left leg after becoming trapped beneath a foam filled tyre and wheel assembly, when the tyre fell onto him after he unbolted the wheel in preparation for changing the tyre - see Photograph 1.
Key Findings from the Investigation:
• The loading shovel was on hire and neither the Company nor the tyre fitter knew the tyre was foam filled.
• The IP assumed it was a punctured air-filled tyre because it had deflated (the foam inside the tyre had deteriorated giving the appearance of a punctured pneumatic tyre – foam tyres don’t normally deflate).
• The foam filled tyre weighed in excess of 400kg (two or three times heavier than an air filled tyre). It took two people to lift the tyre off the trapped fitter.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN
• Only Company approved tyre fitters shall be used to change and repair tyres on mobile plant - this is regardless of ownership of the machine i.e. on owned/hired/leased.
• Tyres and wheels on mobile plant must only be removed using proprietary mechanical tyre-handling equipment like the one shown in Photograph 2
• Before undertaking any work on mobile plant tyres the type of tyre filling must be established and a thorough risk assessment must be undertaken to ensure the work is planned and carried out safely.
Ask yourself - Could a similar incident happen on our site? What are we going to do to make sure it doesn’t?
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES
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