Tire/Rim servicing

Scope

OSHA’s standard applies only to the servicing of multi-piece and single-piece rim wheels used on large vehicles such as trucks, tractors, trailers, buses, and off-road machines. It does not apply to the servicing of rim wheels used on automobiles, or on pickup trucks, and vans utilizing automobile tires or truck tires designated “LT”.

Regulatory citations

• 29 CFR 1910.177 —Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels

Key definitions

• Barrier: A fence, wall or other structure or object placed between a single piece rim wheel and an employee during tire inflation, to contain the rim wheel components in the event of the sudden release of the contained air of the single piece rim wheel.
• Charts: The U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration publications entitled “Demounting and Mounting Procedures for Tube-Type Truck and Bus Tires,” “Demounting and Mounting Procedures for Tubeless Truck and Bus Tires,” and “Multi-Piece Rim Matching Chart.” OSHA revised its tire servicing reference materials in 2011 to address its Materials Handling and Storage standard. The updated information is available in a portable manual or as three poster-size charts. OSHA’s revised “Multi-piece Rim Matching Chart” provides an updated list of current and obsolete components. The old “Demounting and Mounting Procedures for Truck/Bus Tires” chart is now expanded to two charts that deal individually with tubeless and tube-type tires. OSHA also will accept any other manual or poster that provides at least the same instructions, safety precautions, and other information contained in these publications, which is applicable to the types of wheels the employer is servicing. Installing a rim wheel means the transfer and attachment of an assembled rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub.
• Demounting: The opposite of mounting.
• Mounting: Putting together of the wheel and tire components to form a rim wheel, including inflation.
• Multi-piece rim wheel: The assemblage of a multi-piece wheel with the tire tube and other components.
• Multi-piece wheel: A vehicle wheel consisting of two or more parts, one of which is a side or locking ring designed to hold the tire on the wheel by interlocking components when the tire is inflated.
• Removing: The opposite of installing.
• Restraining device: An apparatus such as a cage, rack, assemblage of bars and other components that will constrain all rim wheel components during an explosive separation of a multi-piece rim wheel, or during the sudden release of the contained air of a single piece rim wheel.
• Rim manual: A publication containing instructions from the manufacturer or other qualified organization for correct mounting, demounting, maintenance, and safety precautions peculiar to the type of wheel being serviced.
• Rim wheel: An assemblage of tire, tube, and liner (where appropriate), and wheel components.
• Service area: Part of an employer’s premises used for the servicing of rim wheels, or any other place where an employee services rim wheels.
• Service or servicing: The mounting and demounting of rim wheels and related activities such as inflating, deflating, installing, removing, and handling.
• Single piece rim wheel: The assemblage of single piece rim wheel with the tire and other components.
• Single piece wheel: A vehicle wheel consisting of one part, designed to hold the tire on the wheel when the tire is inflated.
• Trajectory: Any potential path or route that a rim wheel component may travel during an explosive separation, or the sudden release of the pressurized air, or an area at which an airblast from a single piece rim wheel may be released. The trajectory may deviate from paths which are perpendicular to the assembled position of the rim wheel at the time of separation or explosion. (See Appendix A for examples of trajectories.)
• Wheel: That portion of a rim wheel which provides the method of attachment of the assembly to the axle of a vehicle and also provides the means to contain the inflated portion of the assembly (i.e., the tire and/or tube).

Summary of requirements

Employers must:

• Only allow trained individuals to service large wheels.
• Make the required “tire charts” available to workers.
• Furnish a restraining device for inflating tires on multi-piece wheels. Also, provide a restraining device or barrier for inflating tires on single piece wheels unless the rim wheel will be bolted onto a vehicle during inflation.
• Assure that an air line assembly consisting of the following components be used for inflating tires: (1) A clip-on chuck; (2) An in-line valve with a pressure gauge or a presettable regulator; and (3) A sufficient length of hose between the clip-on chuck and the in-line valve (if one is used) to allow the employee to stand outside the trajectory.
• Furnish and assure that only tools recommended in the rim manual for the type of wheel being serviced are used to service rim wheels.
• Ensure that multi-piece wheel components are not be interchanged except as provided in the charts or in the applicable rim manual.
• Inspect multi-piece wheel components and single piece wheels prior to assembly.
• Establish a safe operating procedure for servicing wheels and assure that employees are instructed in and follow that procedure. See 1910.177(f) and (g) for specific required procedures.