How do you store off-the-road (OTR) tyres?
It’s a hard question to find the answer to. Most of the media coverage of tyre storage relates to the problems with storing tyres badly – fires, pollution and toxins. But good tyre storage can enable quick and safe changes and avoid downtime while preventing these dangers.
OTR Tyre Storage Best Practice
OTR tyres must be stored indoors or under a waterproof cover. While tyres are designed to withstand extreme weather and rugged conditions when in use, long-term exposure to baking sun and erosive rain can cause them to crack and wear.
Store the tyres in a dry and temperate place away from sunlight, flames, heat, chemicals and sharp or breakable objects. If possible, raise your tyres off the floor on a pallet. If stored on a working site, dedicate a quiet area to tyre storage away from potentially damaging practices like earth moving or heating.
If your tyres are freshly shipped to you, keep them in the shipping container for as long as possible.
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Do not place heavy loads directly on your stored tyres. While OTR tyres may be designed to take heavy loads, this is not the case when they are not fitted and inflated. Relatively small loads can damage the tyre over time.
If your tyres are fitted on rims, store them standing up, hang them, or stack them to a height of two or less. Store at a safe pressure and inflate to a working pressure when fitted.
When tyres are on a vehicle, avoid keeping them loaded under a heavy weight for long periods of time when not in use. It’s good practice for many reasons to unload heavy-duty vehicles during long breaks in work. This applies to tyres too.
Regulations
There are strict limits on end-of-life tyre storage. No more than 100 tonnes of these tyres can be stored by any organisation without strict accreditation. If you store more than 30 end-of-life tyres on your site at a time, you may be liable to a fine. Also, you may not store end-of-life tyres within 50 metres of a nature reserve, groundwater source, marine conservation zone or site of special scientific interest.
These rules and guidelines will keep tyres safe and functional for longer, while steering your business clear of fines. For more guidance on tyre storage, contact jason@earthmovertyresolutions.co.uk
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