Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/353300
Treacherous tire repair Information for this Safety Watch is from an accident, OSHA Publication 3086, Servicing Single-Piece and Multi-Piece Rim Wheels; 29 CFR 1910.177 and the Center for Disease Control's NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program. It is meant for general information only. The accident: A welder was attempting to repair leaks to a weld on a skid- steer loader's rim wheel. Before weld- ing, the welder attempted to seal the holes in the leaking rim wheel by using cans of a prod- uct designed to inflate and seal leaks in tires. The welder did not realize the sealant would only fill holes in a tire, not in the rim wheel itself. When the product did not repair the leaks, the welder located the holes on the rim wheel and began to weld the holes. The wheel exploded, causing the pres- surized tire to blow off the rim and into the victim. The force of the explosion caused the welder to land more than 20 feet from the loader. He was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple injuries. The bottom line: A post-acci- dent investigation determined the sealant the welder had used was flammable, and included a warning label that the propellant was com- posed of a highly flammable gas. The welder ignored the warning labels and ignited the gas, causing the explosion. Furthermore, the welder failed to remove the tire prior to beginning work, which put him at further risk for injury. Rim wheel repair Several mistakes were made that caused the explosion in this acci- dent. Before servicing rim wheels, familiarize yourself with the follow- ing safe operating procedures. s !VOID HOT WORK 2IM WHEELS UN- dergo a heat treatment process that increases the wheel's hard- ness. Performing welding on a rim wheel alters the crystalline structure of the metal, which could create a failure point. This will weaken the wheel and make it unsafe for use. s 2EMOVE THE TIRE .EVER WORK ON any wheel assembly while the TIRE IS STILL IN PLACE 2EMOVE THE valve core and deflate the tire, then demount the tire carefully from the narrow ledge side of the wheel. s .O mAMMABLE PRODUCTS .EVER use flammable sealants in field applications. If you choose to use a sealant/inflator to repair a tire as a quick fix, choose a product without a flammable propellant. The tire should then be removed from service and repaired or replaced. 2EMEMBER ONCE A TIRE IS RE- paired and ready to be mounted, use a restraining device such as a cage or rack that constrains all rim wheel components prior to inflation. In the event of a sud- den release of contained air, the barrier will withstand the maxi- mum force of rim wheel separa- TION AND RELEASE .EVER STAND in front of or lean against the restraining device. safety watch | by Amy Materson | AMaterson@randallreilly.com EquipmentWorld.com | August 2014 41 Date of safety talk: Leader: _____________________ Attending: Illustration by Don Lomax Taking shortcuts when repairing tires can lead to disastrous results