OSHA Simplifies Tire Servicing

Dec. 12, 2011
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its tire servicing materials to address industry hazards and help workers safely perform maintenance on large vehicle tires.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its tire servicing materials to address industry hazards and help workers safely perform maintenance on large vehicle tires.

The revised materials address OSHA's Materials Handling and Storage standard that protects workers who service single-piece and multi-piece rim wheels. Following recent talks with representatives from tire, rubber, and wheel manufacturers, OSHA determined a need for new materials with updates from sources such as the Tire Industry Association. The updated information, available in a portable manual or as three poster-sized charts, is easier to access and use. OSHA's revised "Multi-piece Rim Matching Chart" provides an updated list of current and obsolete components, and the old "Demounting and Mounting Procedures for Truck/Bus Tires" chart is now expanded into two charts that deal individually with tubeless and tube-type tires. "These updated materials will provide readily accessible information on how to prevent worker injuries and deaths from tire-servicing incidents," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. "The new format and easy access will simplify compliance with the standard by helping employers provide their workers with vital servicing information."