Off-road tires are big, dirty, and dangerous, but they keep the largest haul trucks producing and the smallest skid steers loading. But familiarity can breed contempt among tire technicians, so asset and maintenance managers must take steps to ensure that safety is not forgotten either in the shop or in the field.
Kevin Rohlwing has spent more than 40 years in the tire industry and is now chief technical officer with the Tire Industry Association (TIA) in Bowie, Maryland. One of his focuses is tire safety.
Technician safety starts at hiring, according to Rohlwing. Requiring proof of competency in some form such as a certification has become the standard for hiring managers. In fact, he says, “If you’re not certified to work on tires, you shouldn’t be doing it.”
Moreover, in the current labor shortage, a fleet manager might be tempted to take an unproven new mechanic to do some tire servicing. That could be a fatal mistake. According to The Traveler’s 2022 Injury Impact Report, 35 percent of injuries happen to workers who were hired within the past year, regardless of age or industry experience.
Rohlwing says the single most important safety item a fleet manager can provide their technicians is a written comprehensive standard operating procedure guide that spells out exactly how tasks should be performed and details the expectations of a trained tire technician. Clear safety expectations, supported with step-by-step directions, are the bridge between knowing what task needs to be done and how the task should be performed, he says.
The challenge with even a seasoned staff is to keep tire safety awareness fresh and active. It is easier—and tempting—to tell techs, “Remember to work safely,” then ensure that they will take the necessary steps to meet fleet expectations. Saying ”work safely” doesn’t communicate anything, especially to a new hire who is eager to do a good job and may be a little shy to ask too many questions. How an organization defines best safe practices and what its technicians consider as safe practices can be vastly different. Uncertainty breeds hazards.
Even if most tire maintenance and repair work is outsourced to a dealer or third party, with in-house staff doing basic inflation and wear checking tasks, Rohlwing says the fleet’s guide will be the go-to reference and policy authority for the shop, as well as the key to meeting shop goals safely.
TIA’s Basic Earthmover Tire Service (ETS) training and certification program covers fundamental tire service procedures and can serve as a good template. For example:
- Specify technician qualifications and what tasks they can perform.
- State what PPE equipment must be used to comply with company and OSHA policies, such as inflation cages and locking air chucks.
- Provide an overview of the different types and brands of tires, rims, and valves that the fleet uses, including the different types of wheels and rim fastening systems commonly used and the general safety guidelines for each system.
- Go over basic safety guidelines for operating your fleet’s vehicles.
- If the tech will be operating a service truck, train to guidelines for selecting a service area in the field.
- Explain in depth the safety procedures for lifting and securing different types of equipment, such as wheel loaders, wheeled excavators, and compact equipment.
- Describe basic safety guidelines for using different types of hydraulic tools including bead breakers and rams.
- Outline tire wear guidelines, such as how to gauge wear and what documentation is required for servicing or taking out of service.
- List tool locations and manuals.
- Discuss when to step back: What service procedures must be performed by another source?
In addition to the department’s umbrella safety regulations and policies, provide tire service technicians with targeted tire industry safety guidance for the specific hazards they face. Start with these:
- Name non-negotiable safety issues and behaviors. It is reasonable to include required adherence to specific safety procedures, by task or application, as a condition of employment.
- Identify imminent danger situations and provide training to recognize and deal with preventable causes or triggers. Clearly prioritize actions that need to be taken in the event of an incident.
- See something/say something/do something. Make sure technicians know who to contact if a potential hazard, threat, or unsafe activity is observed. Train how to alert co-workers or others on site who may be affected by the activity.
- Establish lone worker safety practices and communication systems. When work is done in a less populated area of a shop or in the field, a technician may encounter a risk situation that can go unnoticed. Put in place a check-in routine so workers know someone is watching their backs.
- Define and authorize how to stop work responsibly. Reassure staff they have the right—in fact, the responsibility—and authority to stop work if it is clear continuing the task cannot be done safety.
“It is important to physically monitor if your technicians are observing your SOP guidelines,” says Rohlwing. “Do occasional spot checks and correct practices before they become problems.”
Train to build safety awareness
Training is the bedrock of safe tire maintenance operations, according to Rohlwing, who encourages providing technicians with frequent training opportunities to update and refresh procedures.
Basic tire servicing skills education is available in vocational schools, junior colleges, and for-profit training facilities. Tire manufacturers also provide product assistance and safety training online, in virtual presentations, and in-person learning. Many training courses are based on the TIA benchmarks. TIA also offers numerous advanced and specialty tire technician courses and certifications.
Advanced skills training and frequent refresher opportunities keep awareness of safe practices sharp. TIA offers an innovative smartphone app called Today’s Class Mobile Training. The app reinforces current tech knowledge and can provide targeted mentoring and self-directed learning in about five minutes a day. The mobile training platform uses artificial intelligence to identify and eliminate any knowledge gaps. Current competencies can be measured, and instructor-led training can be tailored as needed.
Safe tire servicing is a group effort, according to Rohlwing. “We are all on the same page when it comes to safety,” he says.
“Tire and equipment manufacturers, dealers, and fleet owners, government agencies, and industry advocates like TIA recognize their responsibility to keep tire techs and workers safe.”
