Congratulations to everyone at the Michelin plant in Ballymena which has just celebrated rolling its thirty millionth tyre out of the factory since 1969.

Apparently, if you circled all the tyres beside one another, they would circle the planet!

The achievement was marked with a photo opportunity showing the first and the 30-millionth tyres made sitting side-by-side on the factory floor.

The two tyres make clear the giant leap in technology between that first basic model and the new, all-singing, all-dancing Michelin X MultiWay 3D all-weather design, according to the report in the Belfast Telegraph.

Eric Le Corre, the managing director of Stoke-based Michelin Tyre PLC, stressed that that despite being a world leader, Michelin still maintains a family ethos and is mindful of the hard work of its employees.

He said: “The firm first came to Northern Ireland when it was choosing locations in the UK because it had a good-quality workforce and that tradition continues today. It is the quality of the people here and their dedication to the job that makes the difference.

“The ones who make the difference in any company are not the top management; it is the people who make the product and that is very true in Michelin.

“In Michelin, there are no different classes.”

Wilton Crawford, the factory manager, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the Northern Ireland plant. He said: “In terms of productivity, the quality of the employees and the quality of the products made here — compared to places like China or the eastern countries — when we compare all the figures, there is no question of relocation.

“The pride and the professionalism displayed by the workers here means we command a premium for our products.

“At the Ballymena plant, we do have some of the highest energy costs anywhere in the UK, or indeed Europe, but we are working alongside the politicians to try and make some progress.

“Despite this, we are one of the top five most energy-efficient Michelin factories in the world and by next year we hope to have two wind turbines fully operational to help offset the costs.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Businesses and company car drivers are being invited to view a new information site on the internet which offers valuable advice about safety for fleet tyres.

Featured on the TyreSafe website, it offers a one-stop shop for everything relating to fleet tyre safety, including the legal requirements businesses and those driving for work need to know when it comes to tyre safety, such as how to check tyres for the correct air pressure and tread depth.

It also advises how organisations can go about implementing a tyre maintenance policy, something that will hopefully help reduce the 1,200 road casualties last year where illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor.

However, the central advice is that businesses implementing a robust tyre maintenance policy can enjoy lower vehicle running costs and increased driver safety.

Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, explains: “With business drivers spending a large amount of time behind the wheel, it’s imperative that their tyres are safe and legal.

“Companies that correctly maintain their tyres can significantly reduce their fuel bills and enjoy safer driving for their staff. I would strongly urge all businesses, fleet managers and individual company drivers to take a look at our online-fleet information, if only that it might help them cut their fuel bills.”

In fact, one TyreSafe member has calculated that a car driving with tyres under-inflated by 20 per cent will reduce its fuel economy by 3 per cent.

That’s because when tyres are under-inflated the rolling resistance is increased and more energy needed to make them turn, meaning the engine has to work harder.

More importantly, an under-inflated tyre can significantly compromise the car’s handling, even when reduced by just 6 psi, the typical amount.

Correct tyre pressure is essential for safe driving. As well as handling, grip can be seriously compromised if under-inflated. The possibility of a high-speed blow out is also increased.

Over-inflation can mean a less comfortable ride but more importantly a reduced area of contact with the road giving less grip. Both under- and over-inflation can also lead to accelerated wear on the tread and a shorter tyre life.

Meanwhile, drivers who fail to comply with the regulations face a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.

The introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter Act in 2008 means that businesses can no longer afford to ignore the impact of driving in relation to health and safety in the workplace.

Also, under the Health and Safety Offences Act introduced in 2009, UK courts now have an even greater authority to prosecute businesses for committing offences such as fitting illegal tyres or faulty brakes. The maximum penalty is now £20,000.

“Businesses and individual drivers have a responsibility to check their tyres. Both face the prospect of harsh fines for driving with illegal tyres but more importantly drivers risk being involved in a serious accident,” added Jackson.

TyreSafe recommends that tyres are inspected at least once a month or before any long journey. This includes checking the air pressure, tread depth and overall condition.

The tyre safety information for fleets is available to view as a dedicated section on the TyreSafe website.

Michelin tyres is using an ‘edgy’ puppet show to get its message about road safety across to teenagers.

The tyres manufacturer is behind the unique life-sized puppets performance which is aimed at encouraging our future generation of drivers to be safe on the UK roads.

Michelin has teamed up with Arval, one of the UK’s leading vehicle leasing and fleet management companies, to promote road safety messages to teenagers in its local area.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, Arval will present the memorable Theatre in Education Show, ’Routes – The Teenage Highway Code’ to two groups of over-16s at schools near its headquarters in Swindon.

Michelin has already presented the puppet show, by Steve Wright of The Puppet Broadcast Company, at 15 schools near its own headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent and received positive feedback from pupils and teachers.

Tracey Scarr, Arval’s Fleet and Road Safety Manager, said: “When Michelin presented the puppet show to us we were very impressed. The puppeteer tackles key messages in an edgy and memorable way which teenagers will relate to and will hopefully make them think about their own driving habits.

“It is so important to make young people aware of the risks associated with driving and how to assess dangers effectively.

“This show complements the work that we already carry out in our local community and we had a very positive reaction from local schools when we proposed the idea. I would encourage other companies to get in touch with Michelin to see if they can make a difference in their local area too.”

She added: “Business fleets account for a large proportion of the traffic on our roads, whether it’s company cars or grey fleet vehicles, so the industry as a whole has a responsibility to share road safety messages.

“At Arval, we take CSR very seriously and we are keen to promote the right messages, information and advice to the widest possible audience whenever we can.”

The puppet show will be presented to Swindon College and Royal Wootton Bassett Sixth Form in September.

Anyone interested in working with Michelin to promote road safety to young people can contact Corinne Li on 01782 402371 or email corinne.li@uk.michelin.com

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership has joined forces with TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyres safety organisation, in a bid to keep motorists safer on the roads.

The two groups aim to drive home the message about the importance of having safe and legal tyres to local motorists.

And the union will add weight to TyreSafe’s annual nationwide Tyre Safety Month campaign which gets underway in October to educate motorists about correct tyre care and maintenance.

Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, commented: “TyreSafe is delighted to receive the support of Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership, particularly as they play such an important role in promoting safer motoring in the region.

“And the timing couldn’t be better with October’s tyre safety month fast approaching. The support of such an influential and respected road safety partner is crucial in helping to educate drivers about the need to look after their tyres properly.”

Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership was established in 2001 with the aim of reducing road casualties and improving road safety. The partnership now includes the county’s police force, fire and rescue service and councils among others. By consulting with local communities and using data to identify and target specific problems, the organisation seeks to make its roads safer through a number of education, training and enforcement initiatives.

Cllr Mike Maryon, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We are very proud both of our road safety work and road safety record here in Staffordshire, but every accident is one too many.

“Simple steps like checking tyre pressure to make sure your vehicle is roadworthy help make every journey as safe as possible.”

During this year’s tyre safety month, the partnership will be running a number of awareness activities designed to encourage drivers to check the condition, pressure and tread depth of their tyres.

Utilising many of TyreSafe’s campaign materials, the partnership will also be calling on local drivers to ‘take the 20p pledge’ – an initiative soon to be launched by TyreSafe which encourages drivers to sign up to a Facebook page committing to check their tread depth using a 20p coin.

Jackson added: “As we approach the wettest months of the year, it’s more important than ever that drivers make sure their tyres are safe and legal.”

Two cars will go head-to-head at the Odyssey ice rink in Belfast today to test the effectiveness of winter tyres and the importance of grip.

The dramatic demonstration will kick off the Annual Tyre Safety Week for the Northern Ireland region of the National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA).

Two experienced motorsports drivers will drive cars – identical apart from the tyres – on the slippery surface.

One test will see the first car fitted with premium summer tyres, while the second will be shod with winter tyres for greater grip and control. In another demonstration, both cars will have the same brand of summer tyres fitted, but the tread depths will be very different; one high, one low.

Richard Edy, NTDA Director, said: “It may seem strange to be thinking about winter tyres in August, but in a few months, temperatures will be falling and that’s when winter tyres come into their own – they are not just for snowy conditions but provide extra grip when the temperature is below 7ºC.

“The prudent motorist will make sure his car is prepared for the bad weather before it arrives.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Alex Kapadia

The Formula One season is roaring back into action this week following a month-long summer break and Pirelli is returning with its hard and medium tyres for the Belgian Grand Prix.

The P Zero Silver hard and P Zero White medium combination of tyres has not been raced since second grand prix of the season in Malaysia.

The conditions at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit will be somewhat different however. The 7.004-kilometre lap is the longest of the entire year by some margin, and this is just one of the factors that can lead to extremely variable weather conditions, with a high risk of rain.

Set within the Ardennes hills, Spa’s geography also ensures that it has its own microclimate, meaning that it can often be raining on one part of the circuit but be completely dry on another part.

The track is renowned for its high speeds and fast corners. It is also challenging on the tyres, which have to cope with extremely high lateral and longitudinal energy loadings, thanks to fearsome compressions such as Eau Rouge: a corner that feels like the ultimate rollercoaster ride.

This is why the two hardest compounds from Pirelli’s range have been chosen, reflecting all the hard work that the tyres will have to do during the 44-lap race.

As Spa is such a long and variable race, there is ample scope for strategy to come into play, but tactics always have to be extremely flexible to cope with the potentially changeable weather conditions.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsport director, said: “The Spa circuit is a personal favourite of mine. I recently visited the 24-hour race there: the configuration of the track and the variety of the weather always seems to produce some great racing.

“From a tyre perspective, it’s certainly one of the most demanding circuits that we face all year, because of the high speeds and extreme forces involved, which are often acting on the tyres in more than one dimension.

“The nomination of the hard and the medium tyres will allow drivers to push hard from start to finish, which is what Spa was designed for.

“The first half of the season began with the most close and competitive start to a year ever seen in Formula One’s history, so I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of 2012 pans out, and which teams have made which steps forward over the summer break.

“Currently the grid is so closely-matched – particularly in the midfield – that it’s impossible to predict.”

As the end of summer approaches, we thought we would offer you some timely advice from Continental about making sure you are storing your winter tyres in the the most favourable conditions.

Tyres can change their physical properties if they are not properly maintained and this can lead to a shorter service life. They can even deteriorate to the extent that they become unusable.

Correctly stored and handled tyres will retain their properties and remain virtually unchanged for several years.

Storage in the open air, even under a protective covering, is not permitted.

A store room for tyres and inner tubes should be cool, dry and dark and should be moderately, well ventilated.

Storage temperature must not exceed normal room temperature. In heated rooms the tyres must be shielded from the heat source.

The tyres must be protected from direct sunlight and continuous changes of air. As ozone is particularly damaging, store rooms must not contain any devices that generate ozone.

Solvents, fuels, lubricants and chemicals should not be kept in tyre store rooms or come into contact with tyres.

Ensure that tyres are not stored under tension or external pressure to avoid cracks.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

Cooper Tires has announced it is making up to 50 staff redundancies at its Melksham factory next month, blaming difficult trading conditions in Europe.

The tyres manufacturer, formerly part of the Avon group, has been an important local employer for many decades.

A company spokesman said: “Cooper Tire and Rubber Europe Ltd confirmed redundancies at its Melksham site, attributed to continuing difficult market conditions in Europe.

“Approximately 50 employees in the manufacturing operations area will be affected.

“Consultation with employee representatives has started, through the Works Council, and reductions will first be implemented through voluntary redundancy and early retirement, where possible.”

The spokesman added that redundancies were expected to take place at the end of September.

John McGookin, the regional officer for trade union Unite, said the redundancies were bad news, but not entirely unexpected due to falling sales.

He noted that the firm had struggled to sell seasonal tyres, due to the mild winter, and that its storage depot in Bowerhill was still fairly full.

Mr McGookin said: “Is is very disappointing, but we understand that the car industry is a fairly fickle employer and manufacturers are struggling nationwide.”

“We are led to believe that this was their strategy for 2013 anyway, but they have brought it forward due to problems trading in the Eurozone.”

With more unpredictable weather heading our way for the Bank Holiday weekend, it would be a good idea to make sure your tyres are in a safe and legal condition before heading off on the roads this weekend.

Rain, after a long period of dry weather, makes the road surface extremely slippery with a combination of oil, loose gravel and dried rubber all preventing the tyres working efficiently.

So if you are planning on jumping into your car to take a mini-break or a day trip, follow these three steps to make sure your tyres are ready to cope with potentially hazardous road conditions.

* Check the tyre tread - worn away tread is dangerous as the tyres won’t grip the road properly. Deflated tyres can cause further damage to the wheel, and will pull to the side as you drive. Drivers can be fined £2,500 for each tyre that is below the legal tread limit, as well as receiving three penalty points.

* Check tyre pressure - poorly inflated tyres put more strain on the engine and burn more fuel. Over-inflated tyres are also more likely to suffer a blow out.

* If your vehicle has a spare wheel, check that it is roadworthy - punctured or deflated tyres are easily replaced at the roadside if a spare wheel is present, and will take much longer to fix if there’s no replacement to hand. If the car does have a spare wheel, load the car so that it is easy to get to.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Denna Bowman

A new film explains how businesses can significantly reduce their fuel bills and ensure safer driving by correctly maintaining the tyres on their fleet vehicles.

TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyres safety organisation warns that more than a third of cars on the British roads are estimated to have dangerously under-inflated tyres.

Coupled with the fact that a million new cars are registered every year by fleets and businesses, and an alarming scenario takes shape.

However, businesses and fleet operators that implement a robust tyre maintenance policy can enjoy lower running costs and ensure their vehicles are as safe to drive as possible.

And to drive the message home, the short film available to watch here, gives a graphic example of how the higher running costs for just one car can quickly escalate when applied to a typical larger fleet.

Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, explained: “Businesses have a duty of care to ensure a safe working environment and this extends to the vehicles their staff use for work.

“If the prospect of a hefty fine wasn’t enough, then the chance to cut running costs must be reason to implement a tyre maintenance programme.

“Indeed, it’s been estimated that a car driving with tyres under-inflated by 20 per cent will reduce its fuel economy by 3 per cent.

“While that might not seem a lot for one car, when it’s multiplied across a large fleet covering many miles, then that’s a lot of wasted money.”

Apart from the financial aspect, the film also shows the dangers of running with under inflated tyres and how handling can be significantly compromised, even with the air pressure reduced by just 6 psi, a typical level of under-inflation.

However, TyreSafe is keen to stress that it is not just businesses that have a legal, and moral, responsibility to fulfil as individual drivers also face punitive fines for driving with illegal tyres, so should check their tyres at least once a month and before any long journey.

Drivers who fail to comply with the regulations face a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.

Meanwhile, under the Health and Safety Offences Act introduced in 2009, UK courts have greater authority to prosecute businesses for committing offences such as fitting illegal tyres or faulty brakes. The maximum penalty is now £20,000.

The introduction of the Corporate Manslaughter Act in 2008 also means that businesses can no longer afford to ignore the impact of driving in relation to health and safety in the workplace.

Jackson added: “Last year in the UK, more than 1,200 road casualties resulted from accidents where illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor.

“But what’s really galling is that many of these accidents might have been avoided through simple tyre checks.”