Championing health and safety with a new focus for tyre technicians
Tructyre, a national truck tyre specialist in the UK and leading supplier of HGV tyre maintenance services, announced today that it is to further invest in its commitment to the health and safety of its employees.
This comes after announcing the successful implementation of new initiatives designed to further protect its technicians, both onsite and on the road.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), manual handling injuries are the most common type of injury in tyre removal and replacement, making up nearly half of all incidents in the industry.
Injuries from hand tools, such as tyre levers, account for a quarter of reported incidents, according to the UK HSE’s document: ‘Tyre removal, replacement and inflation advise‘.
Other serious risks of tyre-related work include severe injuries or even fatalities from compressed-air accidents and tire explosions; crush injuries from unexpected vehicle movement or the collapse of jacks and being struck by traffic, especially when working on motorways.
These can often be compounded with working conditions such as bad weather, awkward positions and poor lighting, the tyre industry can be extremely dangerous for tyre technicians.
As the leading service provider, it is no coincidence that Tructyre places such focus on protecting its technicians and is always looking for continuous development in this area.
Tructyre has rolled out several key initiatives so far this year.
Firstly, managers keep these dangers front and centre of technicians’ minds by regularly holding in-person ‘field talks.’ These engagements foster two-way feedback, promoting open discussions about welfare, safety, and operational challenges directly with technicians.
This initiative is designed to be engaging and realistic, ensuring technicians feel heard, respected and reassured that action will be taken when concerns, regardless of size, are raised.
Secondly, a lone worker app has been launched to address the significant risks associated with lone working, particularly for mobile technicians. All its field staff are equipped with a dedicated lone worker safety app on their smartphones. This app, successfully trialled and implemented across technicians, provides crucial peace of mind.
In an emergency, it enables rapid response, facilitating quick contact with emergency services, especially vital when technicians are on motorways, at remote customer sites, or working during unsocial hours.
Thirdly, health and safety policies and procedures have also been enhanced, the aim being that they are easily digestible and actionable, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from both technicians and suppliers involved.
Finally, Tructyre have enhanced their mandatory safety training with a stronger focus on manual handling and safe work practices.
Tyre fitting inherently carries significant risks and Tructyre emphasises that only trained and competent technicians should undertake tyre removal, replacement, and inflation due to the serious hazards involved.