Torqueing about truck wheel loss
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by Miles Brignall • The Government has relaunched its leaflet campaign aimed at reducing the number of wheels which fall off commercial vehicles each year.
Careless torque costs lives was launched by new Road Safety Minister Baroness Helene Hayman.
The leaflet says that "mystery wheel loss" is no mystery and can be prevented by good maintenance procedures.
It also says that operators should: • Never mix the different types of wheel fixings; • Always use a calibrated torque wrench instead of power tools to tighten wheel bolts; • Check for cracks and signs of wear and distortion—if in doubt renew; • Beware of paint on bolts—it can soften under heat, causing loss of clamping force; • Check wheelnuts regularly—preferably at the start of each shift—and record all attention that wheels receive; • Avoid simply re-tightening nuts that continually come lose—find out why.
Road safety group Brake estimates 10 people a year in the UK are killed by wheels lost by commercial vehicles. It reports that in Canada hauliers found guilty of losing wheels could in future be fined the equivalent of £25,000 if proposed legislation gets the go-ahead.
More than 100,000 leaflets have been published; they will be available from testing stations, Traffic Area Offices and the trade associations.