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April 2006 |
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| Poor maintenance on this 5th wheel could easily have caused a catastrophic accident. |
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fifth wheel, part of a rig hauling a fully laden fuel tanker belonging a prominent South African fuel company which was brought into Jost Transport Equipment (JTE) for reconditioning was, according to JTE's Manie Roux, "a catastrophic waiting to happen".
"When we saw the fifth wheel, it was immediately obvious that it had been poorly maintained and had not been replaced in 20 years. This is simply remarkable given the importance of the fifth wheel to the stability of the entire rig. And the fact that it was a petrol tanker makes the incident beyond belief!" says Roux.
Roux says that the transport industry has not been immune from the general loss of skills in industry in general in this country, with the result being that there is sometimes not sufficient awareness for safety issues, even with leading transport companies.
Hilton Cathcart, JTE (formerly IMS-I) sales and marketing director concurs and reiterates the urgent need for transport owners to be more vigilant when it comes to basic safety requirements. He says there are many areas that need attention but stresses the importance of the fifth wheel.
"The role of the fifth wheel and king pin in the overall safety of a rig cannot be overemphasised. This petrol tanker is but one example of many. In fact, last year I received a report of a trailer - hauling a hazardous and volatile load - detaching itself from the truck-tractor and skidding uncontrollably down the road. Investigations showed it was neglect of the fifth wheel maintenance that was the cause."
Cathcart says that every transport operator should know the importance of proper maintenance and care of his equipment and act in a responsible manner. As part of the safety initiative and to ensure excellent training, JTE continuously upgrades its training programme for both its distributors and end-users.
Roux, who is responsible for the development of the training programme at JTE, says that training is one of the most important investments anyone in this industry can make.
"Not only will one's safety record be considerably improved but direct savings will be made on wear and tear. We have experienced time and again that the correct maintenance procedures on the fifth wheel alone results in significant savings not only to the life of gearboxes, axles, trailers etc, but also to human life," says Roux.
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