Reducing commercial vehicle wheel loss
ACCORDING to analysis undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), there were nearly 400 instances of wheel loss from lorries in 2006, representing a serious threat to road safety.
To help counter this hazard, a new guide has been published by a working group comprising the Freight Transport Association (FTA), ATS Euromaster, the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) and SITA UK Ltd.
‘Wheel Security: a best practice guide’, highlights to maintenance staff and drivers the tell-tale signs associated with poorly secured wheels and provides details of industry best practice linked to wheel maintenance.
‘It is important that organizations have a clearly defined wheel security procedure in place that has been comprehensively publicised to all drivers and service providers, and it is essential that all relevant personnel play their part in strictly adhering to that procedure,’ commented Mark Forster, fleet compliance and auditing manager for SITA UK Ltd. ‘The guide’s advice goes to the heart of road safety standards, therefore helping to protect a company’s O-licence.’
Martyn Edwards, technical service advisor for ATS Euromaster, agreed: ‘Effective wheel-loss management requires robust processes ranging from drivers’ daily checks to comprehensive service provider training plans. Maintenance staff must be correctly trained to recognize the signs of component wear and damage, while fully understanding wheel re-fitment and re-torque procedures,’ he said.
Andy Mair, the FTA’s head of engineering policy, added: ‘Wheel security is a serious issue for all commercial vehicle operators and this comprehensive guide, which is aimed at both maintenance staff and drivers, will help reduce the risk of wheel loosening or, worse still, wheel loss.
To order a copy of ‘Wheel Security: a best practice guide’, price £3.00, call Shopfta on tel: (08717) 111 111; or contact the IRTE technical department on tel: (020) 7630 1111.
To help counter this hazard, a new guide has been published by a working group comprising the Freight Transport Association (FTA), ATS Euromaster, the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) and SITA UK Ltd.
‘Wheel Security: a best practice guide’, highlights to maintenance staff and drivers the tell-tale signs associated with poorly secured wheels and provides details of industry best practice linked to wheel maintenance.
‘It is important that organizations have a clearly defined wheel security procedure in place that has been comprehensively publicised to all drivers and service providers, and it is essential that all relevant personnel play their part in strictly adhering to that procedure,’ commented Mark Forster, fleet compliance and auditing manager for SITA UK Ltd. ‘The guide’s advice goes to the heart of road safety standards, therefore helping to protect a company’s O-licence.’
Martyn Edwards, technical service advisor for ATS Euromaster, agreed: ‘Effective wheel-loss management requires robust processes ranging from drivers’ daily checks to comprehensive service provider training plans. Maintenance staff must be correctly trained to recognize the signs of component wear and damage, while fully understanding wheel re-fitment and re-torque procedures,’ he said.
Andy Mair, the FTA’s head of engineering policy, added: ‘Wheel security is a serious issue for all commercial vehicle operators and this comprehensive guide, which is aimed at both maintenance staff and drivers, will help reduce the risk of wheel loosening or, worse still, wheel loss.
To order a copy of ‘Wheel Security: a best practice guide’, price £3.00, call Shopfta on tel: (08717) 111 111; or contact the IRTE technical department on tel: (020) 7630 1111.
