Exploding Tyres

Exploding Tyre Leaves Man Fighting For Life 18 May, 2005, UK, Welwyn & Hatfield Times A man is fighting for his life after a tyre exploded, throwing him 25 feet in the air. The freak accident at Water Hall Quarry near Essendon left Nicolas Turner in a critical condition. The 29-year-old, who works for Millennium Tyre Services in Rainham, Essex, was sent to the quarry on Lower Hatfield Road to change a lorry tyre. Police said he had changed the tyre and had begun to inflate it using a pump when the accident happened just after noon on Thursday last week. They believe the tyre exploded under the pressure, sending him over the roof of a transit van. The wheel landed over 80 feet away from the six-wheeled heavy goods vehicle. Mr Turner, from Chelmsford in Essex, suffered life-threatening injuries to his face and chest in the accident. An ambulance rushed him to the QE2 Hospital in WGC, where his condition was stabilised. He was later transferred to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London. His condition was described as critical by a hospital spokesman as the WHT went to press on Tuesday. His family remained at his bedside. The incident is being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.

Teenager Killed By Exploding Tyre 13 May, 2005, UK, BBCNews A teenager has died after a tyre exploded while he was inflating it at his workplace. The 19-year-old was working at Auchinlea Tyres, Cleland, Lanarkshire, when the tyre blew up, throwing him backwards into a wall. The teenager, who has not yet been named, was taken to Monklands Hospital but died shortly after being admitted. A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said a fatal accident inquiry would be held. "It appears the 19-year-old was inflating the tyre when it exploded," she said.

"He was seriously injured as a result and he died soon after. "We cannot comment on whether the tyre was faulty or what kind of tyre it was. "A report is being sent to the procurator fiscal and health and safety have been informed." Staff at the tyre company refused to comment on the incident. Man, 25, Killed By Exploding Tyre 18 May, 2005, UK, BBCNews A 25-year-old farm worker who was killed when a tractor tyre exploded had blast injuries similar to those caused by a bomb, an inquest has been told. Gavin Jones, from Tremadog, Gwynedd, died in Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, in January 2004. North west Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard-Jones said the tyre, which Mr Jones had been filling with air, "flew off as if rocket propelled". A misadventure verdict was returned by an inquest jury in Caernarfon. The incident took place at Glan Y Wern Farm, Porthmadog last year. Wednesday's inquest heard that one of the front wheels of a tractor had a puncture and had been taken off for repair. Mr Pritchard-Jones said he believed that Mr Jones went to fill the tyre. "The next thing that happens is the tyre explodes," he said. "The explosion produces a large amount of high pressure air shooting out the blast. "It knocked over Mr Jones and the wheel flew off as if rocket propelled." Mr Pritchard-Jones said Mr Jones was not aware of the potential danger and had not been trained for what he was doing. His employer David Pugh Jones told the inquest he was not supposed to be repairing the wheel. Pathologist Dr Mark Lord told the jury that Mr Jones had blast injuries similar to those caused by a bomb.