[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1910.177]
[Page 531-537]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR
PART 1910_OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS--Table of Contents
Subpart N_Materials Handling and Storage
Sec. 1910.177 Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels.
(a) Scope. (1) This section applies 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''.
(2) This section does not apply to employers and places of
employment regulated under the Construction Safety Standards, 29 CFR
part 1926; the Agriculture Standards, 29 CFR part 1928; the Shipyard
Standards, 29 CFR part
[[Page 532]]
1915; or the Longshoring Standards, 29 CFR part 1918.
(3) All provisions of this section apply to the servicing of both
single piece rim wheels and multi-piece rim wheels unless designated
otherwise.
(b) Definitions. Barrier means 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 means the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and
Health Administration publications entitled ``Demounting and Mounting
Procedures for Truck/Bus Tires'' and ``Multi-piece Rim Matching Chart,''
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publications
entitled ``Demounting and Mounting Procedures Truck/Bus Tires'' and
``Multi-piece Rim Matching Chart,'' or any other poster which contains
at least the same instructions, safety precautions and other information
contained in the charts that is applicable to the types of wheels being
serviced.
Installing a rim wheel means the transfer and attachment of an
assembled rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub. Removing means the opposite
of installing.
Mounting a tire means the assembly or putting together of the wheel
and tire components to form a rim wheel, including inflation. Demounting
means the opposite of mounting.
Multi-piece rim wheel means the assemblage of a multi-piece wheel
with the tire tube and other components.
Multi-piece wheel means 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.
Restraining device means 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 means 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 means an assemblage of tire, tube and liner (where
appropriate), and wheel components.
Service or servicing means the mounting and demounting of rim
wheels, and related activities such as inflating, deflating, installing,
removing, and handling.
Service area means that part of an employer's premises used for the
servicing of rim wheels, or any other place where an employee services
rim wheels.
Single piece rim wheel means the assemblage of single piece rim
wheel with the tire and other components.
Single piece wheel means a vehicle wheel consisting of one part,
designed to hold the tire on the wheel when the tire is inflated.
Trajectory means 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 means 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).
(c) Employee training. (1) The employer shall provide a program to
train all employees who service rim wheels in the hazards involved in
servicing those rim wheels and the safety procedures to be followed.
(i) The employer shall assure that no employee services any rim
wheel unless the employee has been trained and instructed in correct
procedures of servicing the type of wheel being serviced, and in the
safe operating procedures described in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this
section.
[[Page 533]]
(ii) Information to be used in the training program shall include,
at a minimum, the applicable data contained in the charts (rim manuals)
and the contents of this standard.
(iii) Where an employer knows or has reason to believe that any of
his employees is unable to read and understand the charts or rim manual,
the employer shall assure that the employee is instructed concerning the
contents of the charts and rim manual in a manner which the employee is
able to understand.
(2) The employer shall assure that each employee demonstrates and
maintains the ability to service rim wheels safely, including
performance of the following tasks:
(i) Demounting of tires (including deflation);
(ii) Inspection and identification of the rim wheel components;
(iii) Mounting of tires (including inflation with a restraining
device or other safeguard required by this section);
(iv) Use of the restraining device or barrier, and other equipment
required by this section;
(v) Handling of rim wheels;
(vi) Inflation of the tire when a single piece rim wheel is mounted
on a vehicle;
(vii) An understanding of the necessity of standing outside the
trajectory both during inflation of the tire and during inspection of
the rim wheel following inflation; and
(viii) Installation and removal of rim wheels.
(3) The employer shall evaluate each employee's ability to perform
these tasks and to service rim wheels safely, and shall provide
additional training as necessary to assure that each employee maintains
his or her proficiency.
(d) Tire servicing equipment. (1) The employer shall furnish a
restraining device for inflating tires on multi-piece wheels.
(2) The employer shall 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.
(3) Restraining devices and barriers shall comply with the following
requirements:
(i) Each restraining device or barrier shall have the capacity to
withstand the maximum force that would be transferred to it during a rim
wheel separation occurring at 150 percent of the maximum tire
specification pressure for the type of rim wheel being serviced.
(ii) Restraining devices and barriers shall be capable of preventing
the rim wheel components from being thrown outside or beyond the device
or barrier for any rim wheel positioned within or behind the device;
(iii) Restraining devices and barriers shall be visually inspected
prior to each day's use and after any separation of the rim wheel
components or sudden release of contained air. Any restraining device or
barrier exhibiting damage such as the following defects shall be
immediately removed from service:
(A) Cracks at welds;
(B) Cracked or broken components;
(C) Bent or sprung components caused by mishandling, abuse, tire
explosion or rim wheel separation;
(D) Pitting of components due to corrosion; or
(E) Other structural damage which would decrease its effectiveness.
(iv) Restraining devices or barriers removed from service shall not
be returned to service until they are repaired and reinspected.
Restraining devices or barriers requiring structural repair such as
component replacement or rewelding shall not be returned to service
until they are certified by either the manufacturer or a Registered
Professional Engineer as meeting the strength requirements of paragraph
(d)(3)(i) of this section.
(4) The employer shall furnish and assure that an air line assembly
consisting of the following components be used for inflating tires:
(i) A clip-on chuck;
(ii) An in-line valve with a pressure gauge or a presettable
regulator; and
(iii) 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.
(5) Current charts or rim manuals containing instructions for the
type of wheels being serviced shall be available in the service area.
[[Page 534]]
(6) The employer shall furnish and assure that only tools
recommended in the rim manual for the type of wheel being serviced are
used to service rim wheels.
(e) Wheel component acceptability. (1) Multi-piece wheel components
shall not be interchanged except as provided in the charts or in the
applicable rim manual.
(2) Multi-piece wheel components and single piece wheels shall be
inspected prior to assembly. Any wheel or wheel component which is bent
out of shape, pitted from corrosion, broken, or cracked shall not be
used and shall be marked or tagged unserviceable and removed from the
service area. Damaged or leaky valves shall be replaced.
(3) Rim flanges, rim gutters, rings, bead seating surfaces and the
bead areas of tires shall be free of any dirt, surface rust, scale or
loose or flaked rubber build-up prior to mounting and inflation.
(4) The size (bead diameter and tire/wheel widths) and type of both
the tire and the wheel shall be checked for compatibility prior to
assembly of the rim wheel.
(f) Safe operating procedure--multi-piece rim wheels. The employer
shall establish a safe operating procedure for servicing multi-piece rim
wheels and shall assure that employees are instructed in and follow that
procedure. The procedure shall include at least the following elements:
(1) Tires shall be completely deflated before demounting by removal
of the valve core.
(2) Tires shall be completely deflated by removing the valve core
before a rim wheel is removed from the axle in either of the following
situations:
(i) When the tire has been driven underinflated at 80% or less of
its recommended pressure, or
(ii) When there is obvious or suspected damage to the tire or wheel
components.
(3) Rubber lubricant shall be applied to bead and rim mating
surfaces during assembly of the wheel and inflation of the tire, unless
the tire or wheel manufacturer recommends against it.
(4) If a tire on a vehicle is underinflated but has more than 80% of
the recommended pressure, the tire may be inflated while the rim wheel
is on the vehicle provided remote control inflation equipment is used,
and no employees remain in the trajectory during inflation.
(5) Tires shall be inflated outside a restraining device only to a
pressure sufficient to force the tire bead onto the rim ledge and create
an airtight seal with the tire and bead.
(6) Whenever a rim wheel is in a restraining device the employee
shall not rest or lean any part of his body or equipment on or against
the restraining device.
(7) After tire inflation, the tire and wheel components shall be
inspected while still within the restraining device to make sure that
they are properly seated and locked. If further adjustment to the tire
or wheel components is necessary, the tire shall be deflated by removal
of the valve core before the adjustment is made.
(8) No attempt shall be made to correct the seating of side and lock
rings by hammering, striking or forcing the components while the tire is
pressurized.
(9) Cracked, broken, bent or otherwise damaged rim components shall
not be reworked, welded, brazed, or otherwise heated.
(10) Whenever multi-piece rim wheels are being handled, employees
shall stay out of the trajectory unless the employer can demonstrate
that performance of the servicing makes the employee's presence in the
trajectory necessary.
(11) No heat shall be applied to a multi-piece wheel or wheel
component.
(g) Safe operating procedure--single piece rim wheels. The employer
shall establish a safe operating procedure for servicing single piece
rim wheels and shall assure that employees are instructed in and follow
that procedure. The procedure shall include at least the following
elements:
(1) Tires shall be completely deflated by removal of the valve core
before demounting.
(2) Mounting and demounting of the tire shall be done only from the
narrow ledge side of the wheel. Care shall be taken to avoid damaging
the tire beads while mounting tires on wheels. Tires shall be mounted
only on compatible
[[Page 535]]
wheels of matching bead diameter and width.
(3) Nonflammable rubber lubricant shall be applied to bead and wheel
mating surfaces before assembly of the rim wheel, unless the tire or
wheel manufacturer recommends against the use of any rubber lubricant.
(4) If a tire changing machine is used, the tire shall be inflated
only to the minimum pressure necessary to force the tire bead onto the
rim ledge while on the tire changing machine.
(5) If a bead expander is used, it shall be removed before the valve
core is installed and as soon as the rim wheel becomes airtight (the
tire bead slips onto the bead seat).
(6) Tires may be inflated only when contained within a restraining
device, positioned behind a barrier or bolted on the vehicle with the
lug nuts fully tightened.
(7) Tires shall not be inflated when any flat, solid surface is in
the trajectory and within one foot of the sidewall.
(8) Employees shall stay out of the trajectory when inflating a
tire.
(9) Tires shall not be inflated to more than the inflation pressure
stamped in the sidewall unless a higher pressure is recommended by the
manufacturer.
(10) Tires shall not be inflated above the maximum pressure
recommended by the manufacturer to seat the tire bead firmly against the
rim flange.
(11) No heat shall be applied to a single piece wheel.
(12) Cracked, broken, bent, or otherwise damaged wheels shall not be
reworked, welded, brazed, or otherwise heated.
[[Page 536]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC27OC91.036
Appendix B to Sec. 1910.177--Ordering Information for the OSHA Charts
OSHA has printed two charts entitled ``Demounting and Mounting
Procedures for Truck/Bus Tires'' and ``Multi-piece Rim Matching Chart,''
as part of a continuing campaign to reduce accidents among employees who
service large vehicle rim wheels.
[[Page 537]]
Reprints of the charts are available through the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) Area and Regional Offices. The address
and telephone number of the nearest OSHA office can be obtained by
looking in the local telephone directory under U.S. Government, U.S.
Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Single copies are available without charge.
Individuals, establishments and other organizations desiring single
or multiple copies of these charts may order them from the OSHA
Publications Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3101, Washington,
DC 20210, Telephone (202) 219-4667.
[49 FR 4350, Feb. 3, 1984, as amended at 52 FR 36026, Sept. 25, 1987; 53
FR 34737, Sept. 8, 1988; 61 FR 9239, Mar. 7, 1996]
