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Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, just change it!
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Posted By ian mcnally
One of our employees has recently suffered a fractured elbow while changing a wheel.
The ratchet slipped off the jack causing them to loose balance and fall backwards (just glad it wasn’t into the path of on oncoming vehicle).
Without wanting to be a complete jobs worth, I feel I now need to produce some guidance on wheel changing. I could find nothing on the AA, RAC or HSE websites and was wondering if anyone has such a document that I may use and amend or can suggest where to look?
Just a coincidence but I have recently produced a draft tool-box style talk on driving at work. I was a little disappointed that I failed to include wheel changing. So I guess despite my best efforts a court may have found my risk assessment inadequate as well. At least it was only in draft!
Thanks
PS. If am lucky enough to receive some useful guidance and anyone else would like a copy I will be happy to forward it on.
Ian
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Posted By Stephen J W Clegg.
There is an example of this scenario in 'Safety at Work' by John Ridley & John Channing under JSA in the Risk Management section. If you don't have access to this book, let me know and I'll fax through the information.
Regards Steve.
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Posted By Pete Moran
We have gone down the road (forgive the pun) of not allowing employees to change wheels but to phone for roadside assistance.
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Posted By Robert Paterson
It's on Page 191
Regards
Robert Paterson
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Posted By Martin Gray
Ian
If you look in the manufacturers handbook (usually never opened and located in the glove box under everything) for the vehicle or in deed any of your fleet vehicles they always include a section on wheel changing especially as most vehicles are now only supplied with an emergency wheel.
Martin
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Posted By ian mcnally
Pete,
Interesting to note your comment, I have considered removal/transfer of risk by use of roadside assistance. I know a few large organisations do this. It would be most interesting to see the SSW produced by recovery organisations. At the moment I would rather get the employee to risk assess and only change a wheel if they can find a safe place to do so and perhaps exclude motorways or dual carriageways. Will have to cover considerations to all repairs especially when on off-side of vehicle. Also stuff on positioning of car so wheel is on pavement side of road where possible etc will come into it.
Martin, your dead right about the manufactures handbook never being looked at, having a particular reason this time I actually checked and the information is a bit limited and feel we could do more.
Thanks for your responses!
still hopefull!
Ian
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Posted By JAMES MM
Ian,
I have read the comments of others and I would try Information Instruction and Training. Would it be reasonably practicable to call out assistance to every puncture. Only you can decide this by looking at the routes your drivers take, the frequency of punctures and the types of vehicles in your fleet.
Hope this helps
Jim
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Posted By Steve Cartwright
You don't say if the vehicle was a company vehicle or owned by the employee but used for company business.
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Posted By Alec Wood
On the subject of finding a safe place to change the wheel, remember to tell them that you can drive quite some distance on a flat tyre as long as you keep the speed down - we've all heard of people changing wheels in the outside lane who had no idea they could have safely driven to the hard shoulder.
Consider issuing each vehicle with a can of "Tyre Weld" or similar. This is only designed as a reduced speed, get you home or to the nearest garage solution but is does work. 90% of punctures are small rather than huge tread tearing explosions or delaminations of the tyre and products such as this will seal and reinflate them allowing a couple of hundred miles progress at up to 50mph if needed. The key advantage of this solution is speed, about thirty seconds, thus the driver is exposed to the risks of surrounding traffic for a much shorter time.
Alec Wood
Samsung Electronics
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Posted By ian mcnally
In a previous posting when I mentioned I was putting together a DDA policy it was interesting to see how many responded directly to me requesting me to send on any material. I would mention I have so far had 6 such requests for a policy on wheel changing but so far nothing I can apply the wizardry of cut an paste. I have suggested that I will email all those any draft policy I may have to put together and use this group to suggest ways of improving the policy. A bit of collective creativity should save us all a bit of time a may also come up with a useful document.
Alex suggested “tyre weld” or similar. I must confess to having seen this stuff but never used it. Sounds good, are there any issues re; use, storage, shelf life, COSHH etc.
Steve asked if the vehicle was owned by EE or ER. It happens to be owned by my organisation but I would be interested to see where his line of thinking was going (liability)?. The injured person was injured during the course of their work and I thought it was the ER who should ensure a R/A & SSW was in place. Is there a little wrinkle that I am unaware of, please tell?
Steve, I got your faxed R/A thanks, it is helpful but it doesn’t mention being struck by other road users or problems with over tightened nuts (very nasty)- I guess the list could go on a bit, you know what us safety people are like!
Thanks again for your responses, keep em coming!
Regards
Ian
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Posted By George Wedgwood
Employees on business car use (their own or the company's) should be discouraged from changing wheels as part of the 'car use rules'. Falling back is just one aspect and manual handling is the other which causes most loss by simple back strain getting the spare out. A policy I am aware of was to ensure all drivers had mobile comms, all had the car users' guide and all instructed not to change wheels but call a dedicated tyre co. number. Any deviance from the guidance could render an employee liable for breach of co. rules and possibly no compensation in the event of an incident. All employees using cars for business should be authorised in writing and have basic defensive driving training. Criminal offences should trigger a review of the authorisation and person al interview. It all sounds difficult but there are many cos. doing this now.
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Posted By Alec Wood
Ian,
There should be no COSHH issues as the user does not come into contact with the product. It is designed for boot storage and is a very high pressure aerosol. Basically you just put the tube onto the tyre valve, press and hold the button until it is obviously exhausted and then remove the tube. Drive at a moderate speed to the nearest filling station, top up the tyre pressure to the correct amount and be on your way, booking a tyre change as soon as possible afterwards of course.
Manual wheel changing is a very dodgy thing to be doing at work. Brake dusts, other road users, jacks, manual handling, the sheer effort required........
If anyone is planning a policy allowing wheel changing, can I also recommend the extending wheel brace. My wife got me one yesterday and it's fantastic! Just makes the whole job much less effort. £1.99 from the local boot sale, bargain!
Alec Wood
Samsung Electronics
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Posted By Alec Wood I think some people misunderstand the nature of the tyre-weld product I referred to above. It is a puncture sealing and reinflating thingy that you use in the event of a puncture, not before. http://tinyurl.com/4dvzuHere it is, a bit pricey but in my opinion worthwhile. I have used it and would say that for the average puncture it is very good with the following caveats 1. It's OK only for small holes, if you can see the hole it won't fix it 2. If the hole is from a nail, then leave the nail in 3. The tyre will need to be jet washed out before repairing the puncture to remove the tyre weld 4. If the tyre bead has been broken away from the rim then this will do nothing but spray back and make your shirt very dirty - quite smelly too. It also comes in a 300ml can. The last time I used it was on a Ford Transit van front wheel which I then drove 350 miles on before having the tyre repaired properly because it was a Sunday and there was no Kwik-Fit or similar open.
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