TYREgate: new online tool for tyre and rim management
TYREgate, a new online tool for managing tyres and rims, is a world first according to the creators. Its searchable causal factors database offers a depth of information not available before to the mining industry, says Jim Joy, professor and director of the Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC).
l-r Dr Guldidar Kizil (senior research officer, MISHC) & Tilman Rasche (senior Inspector of mines, QLD DME) -TYREgate project team
“Industry decision support resources represent a trend in improved knowledge management for the industry. They help everyone learn better from the past and think proactively about the future” he said.
MISHC is part of the Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) at the University of Queensland.
Launched in August 2008 by Dr Guldidar V Kizil and Tilman Rasche at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference, TYREgate provides information and potential solutions to improve the safety of earthmover tyre and rim maintenance and use of rubber-tyred equipment on mine sites.
“To our knowledge, TYREgate is a world first online searchable causal factors database for earthmover tyre accident and incidents,” said Dr Guldidar V Kizil, senior research officer for MISHC.
Similar approaches have already been adopted by other high risk industries such as the nuclear, aviation and the petrochemical sector, with considerable success.
An important element in TYREgate is the downloadable checklists of causal information and related industry adopted solutions. “A mine manager can print these off and hand them to his foreman to check if his safety management system has considered the hazards. Much easier than having to search through a lengthy report,” said Tilman Rasche.
TYREgate is based on publically available Australasian and international accident and incident data from both coal and metalliferous sectors. Previously this information was only available in reports and had not been analysed or merged into a single resource for industry.
Rasche, now a senior mines inspector with the Department of Mines and Energy, had collated 20 years of accidents involving industrial tyres and rims while working at Klinge & Co as its health and safety manager. From the 130 page Klinge & Co report supported under an ACARP grant, Kizil and Rasche established TYREgate.
TYREgate’s intuitive online searching and reporting tool allows the user to find the root causes and contributing factors of an incident or potential incident within “three clicks” of their mouse. The analysis results are given in intuitive graphical form. TYREgate also offers the user a list of published actions and recommendations that can be used towards the elimination and better management of tyres and rims related hazards.
TYREgate also interfaces with the Earth Moving Equipment Safety and Round Table (EMESRT) “Tires & Rims” Design Philosophy, established in 2006.
TYREgate is hosted through the existing Minerals Industry Risk Management Gateway (MIRMgate) at http://www.mirmgate.com/tyregate
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