Engineering & Mining Journal

DEC 2013

Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr

Issue link: https://emj.epubxp.com/i/225780

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 49 of 163

TIRE MANAGEMENT Teaching Tire Awareness Properly trained techs service tires safely By Steve Fiscor, Editor-in-Chief Replacing the tires on a haul truck is a task that presents several inherent risks. They say the tire has enough contained force to propel a miner a mile into the air. From the time the job begins at isolating and jacking the haul truck, to deflating the tire and breaking the beads, to dismounting the assembly and inspecting the components, it's easy to see that the task involves quite a bit more work than simply changing a tire. Tire technicians are usually located in a small portion of the main shop and they often work off a concrete pad in the yard, which makes their jobs a little more tedious. Understanding the hazards and potential risks is as important with this chore as it is in any other aspect of the mining operation. Few companies know off-the-road (OTR) mining tires as well as Kal Tire. A privately owned Canadian outfit that traces its roots back 60 years to southern British Columbia, today the company's mining tire group employs more than 1,500, operates in 19 countries, and works with 43 global mining companies at more than 150 mine sites. The company operates four OTR retread plants worldwide and has five large OTR tire repair facilities in Canada alone. They know a thing or two about mining tires. With exposure to several different types of mines (hard rock, oil sands and coal) in the region surrounding its headquarters in Vernon, B.C., the company has gained considerable experience and now exports that expertise to other facilities around the world. More recently, the company has developed an intuitive safety and training program where each technician's skills are well-documented. Using some continuous improvement techniques, they are also able to keep experienced techs up-to-date and gain the feedback they need to improve the tire service program. At a time when many mines are pursuing the goal of zero lost time accidents, they want to do business with a contractor who shares that same philosophy. When its techs enter the mine site, the mine operators know that Kal Tire holds its training standards to the same high level as the mine. They also have the ability to train mine personnel in the safe handling and operation of OTR tires as well. Developing a Global Mining Tire Resource Kal Tire launched its mining tire group in the early 70s, servicing the mines in British Columbia and the Yukon. In 1990, the company expanded into oil sands as that sector began to grow in Alberta. Seven years later, they entered Latin America, establishing businesses in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. In 2007, Kal Tire entered Mexico as silver and gold mines began to expand. Today, they also have operations in Africa, Europe and Australia. "With operations on five continents, we consider our- Mining tires, such as these seen outside the Kal Tire section shop in Sparwood, B.C., represent a huge cost to mine operators. Selecting a company to supply and maintain tires is an important decision. 48 E&MJ; • DECEMBER 2013 www.e-mj.com

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Engineering & Mining Journal - DEC 2013