National truck tyre specialist and maintenance supplier Tructyre has introduced new initiatives designed to further protect its technicians onsite and on the road, writes Peter Brown.
The new initiatives include regular engagement between management and technicians, a lone worker app, enhanced health and safety policies and procedures, and improved mandatory safety training.
Claire Howells is the human resources director, Tructyre and ATS Euromaster. “At Tructyre, the safety and welfare of our people are paramount,” she explained.
“We are continuously investing in proactive measures to ensure our technicians can perform their vital work as safely as possible.
“Our goal is to create safe systems of work that are not just comprehensive, but also realistic and easy to use. We want our technicians to genuinely engage with our safety systems so they can stay safe and avoid incidents. The positive feedback confirms we’re on the right track.”
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 tire levers, account for a quarter of reported incidents.
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.
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.
And finally, Tructyre have enhanced their mandatory safety training with a stronger focus on manual handling and safe work practices.
