Rank: Forum user 
|
Is there any specific regulation that covers storage of new tyres . I have been informed after the fact that we are storing new tyres in our warehouses. I have been told that when proposed our insurers said it would put our insurance premium up and were against it. Are they a hazard?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user 
|
Tyres are quite dangerous. Whilst this is waste tyres: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22937676There are other links to this incident, they are dangerous. Trust me, this incident affected not only my business, but my home life also!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Lisar -
We store a fair amount of tyres and from a H&S point of view, there's little risk other than issues such as manual handling and safe loading of racking. Even in our (my!) fire risk assessment, they are not mentioned as they pose a negligible risk to life in a fire.
But if I was completing an asset protection, or environmental risk assessment for an insurance company, then the risk scores would be considerably higher.
Tyre fires are very difficult to control when they take hold. They produce a lot of heat which damages the structure of a building rapidly, and lots of smoke which causes damage and prevents fire crews reaching the seat of the fire.
Extinguishing such a fire requires vast quantities of water, which unless there is a large open water supply nearby, it will take time for the fire service to deliver sufficient supplies. And if there is a convincing lake or river next door, then there's water run off/pollution problems to consider.
Then (like Paul above), there;s always going to be grumpy neighbours. Householders and businesses alike don't like being evacuated for hours, breathing nasty smoke or seeing their properties damaged by an out of control fire.
So I guess that what has spooked your insurance company - the potential cost (to them) in £££s rather than any life risk
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
mssy,
Whilst not grumpy, well not in general, unless tired (get the pun! ;) ).
This fire actually blocked out the sun for some local residents, shut down around 100 businesses, closed roads, and the smell permeated my home over 1 mile away, and we were generally down wind.
Some people actually physically suffered breathing problems in their own homes due to this.
It was quite nasty all in all, so grumpy perhaps, but how would you like to live in your own home 24 hours per day for several days with the stench of burning tyres being part of your every breath?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Hi Lisar - You have actually raised 2 interlinked questions:-
1st - what are your insurers stated reasons for raising the premium?
2nd - what is the identifiable change in fire risk from the storage of the tyres?
Please don't think that I'm being difficult, it's not meant that way; but it is not possible to provide a meaningful answer without the following.
You don't provide sufficient additional information to provide other than generic respoinses here; but I would suggest the following:-
You don't identify how many tyres, nor of what type [ie car, racing, lorry, tractor]; nor how stored [ie pallettised, floor stack, racking, how high].
You don't identify what else may be stored in the warehous which may contribute to, or exacerbate a tyre fire.
We have no information regarding your site fire-fighting capability nor envionmental considerations for fires.
I would suggest that you ask your insurers why and on what grounds. AND
Ensure that you have a suitable and sufficient FRA and also a DSEAR RA [it may say no DSEAR application or DSEAR risk from storage is negligable] but you should ensure both are comprehensive as without them you won't be able to discuss it sensibly with your insurers and you must do them anyway!!
You may be able to negotiate a compromise if you get it done right.
Both mssy & Paul have identified valid issues as well.
Frank Hallett
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg261.pdfLisa there is some guidance in hsg261 but mainly for motor vehicle workshop the rest is about environmental and end of live vehicles... I suspect your insurer will be looking at the fire angle
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
It might depend upon which insurers are talking about an increase in premium. Property insurers would - I guess - be interested in the fact that the "fire load" of the premises was going to increase. Thus the loss, the potential claim from a fire would be greater. As has been explained, after ignition tyre fires are pretty nasty. But it could be the Liability insurers. The Public Liability policy will respond if there is spread of fire from the insured premises to neighbouring property and there is damage. Whether such spread of fire could fall within the rule/doctrine of Rylands v Fletcher has been recently reviewed in the Court of Appeal. For example: http://www.kennedys-law....forescapingfirereviewed/But this decision just means that there was no strict liability. One could still be held to have acted negligently and end up being responsible for payment of compensation (or your insurers would) Storing tyres would be regarded as an increase in risk if prior to that you were storing coils of sheet steel! Phil
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
In a previous job we were taken to court by a Fire Service and part of their argument for the prosecution was the presence of tyes in our warehouse, and the amount of time/effort/resources that the Fire Service would have to expend in order to deal with any fire.
The Fire Service were more than willing to stoke up (no pun intended) local unrest through briefings to the local press and even national radio regarding how we were an uncaring bunch of **** who only cared about profit and not local residents welfare.
This was back in the days of the ' Fire Regs 97, and needless to say, in light of all of the above...we won the case. check out Northants Fire Brigade v City Logistics, if you;re interested.
Incidentally our insurers had no problem at all with us storing tyres in the warehouse; but we did get rid of them about 4 months later due to pressure from another client, for whom we stored tea and coffee - apparently tea will easily absorb other aromas, and the smell of the tyre rubber was contaiminating their tea bags!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Forum user
|
As has been said You don't say how many tyres are being stored and how they are being stored and also what else is being stored with them.
If you are going into storing tyres in a big way eg as a major distribution centre for a tyre company and your insurers and even the tyre stock insurers may well start demanding fixed fire protection to the warehouse if it is not there already.
If your warehouse is already sprinklered and you are storing tyres it is quite possible the sprinkler protection will not be adequate.
The last tyre warehouse I visited was a high bay warehouse with racking up to 12m and had a stock of tyres in excess of £10 million. This warehouse had ESFR (early suppression fast response) sprinkler protection specifically designed for a tyre warehouse. This warehouse was operated by a logistics company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.