What is this standard about?
To achieve the highest safety standards, this document provides authoritative guidance on how to do vehicle maintenance and repairs on the wheels of heavy commercial vehicles.
It gives recommendations on selecting replacement tyres and wheels and on the care of tyres, wheels and wheel fixings. It also describes the principal types of wheels and fixings and the procedures to be carried out when fitting wheels.
The types of fixings and sizes described are normally used on heavy commercial vehicles, but if used on other types of vehicle then the principles given in this standard also apply.
Who is this standard for?
- Tyre fitters (fixed and mobile)
- Vehicle repair garages
- Roadside assistance services
- Vehicle operators and drivers
- Suppliers of wheels, wheel nuts and studs, valves and tyres
The standard also provides an authoritative and up-to-date reference source for:
- The Department for Transport
- DVSA
- Highways England and their counterparts in the devolved regions
- Road safety organizations
Why should you use this standard?
It supplies an up-to-date and authoritative source of safety information in an area where the HSE reports that two or three operators are killed every year.
In addition, licensed operators of heavy commercial vehicles are under a statutory obligation to demonstrate their vehicles are roadworthy. The guidance contained in this standard is a constituent part of demonstrating that roadworthiness.
What’s changed since the last update?
- The previous version didn’t include alloy wheels which are not as robust as steel wheels in some respects and therefore bring additional risks.
- Health and Safety practice in this field has evolved considerably over the last 20 years so the revised standard contains comprehensive and current HSE guidance not present in the old version.
- The updated standard contains new guidance on wheel nut tightening to prevent wheel loss.
NOTE 1: Recommendations for the selection and care of wheels for passenger cars and light trailers are given in BS AU 50-2.8.
NOTE 2: Attention is drawn to The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 [1] as amended.
NOTE 3: In light of alloys and ‘wheel loss’ the standard reflects that vehicle manufacturers’ instructions take precedence over generic advice contained in the standard.
