OSHA Inspection: THORCO INDUSTRIES, INC.

Issued

Jul 31, 1998

Abate by

Sep 2, 1998

Penalty

Initial $6,300 · Current $6,300

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
required to service Yale forktruck tires were exposed to the hazard of the
rim assembly
separating from the tire in an uncontrolled, explosive manner.  The
assembly consisted of a two-
piece rim.
1300 East 12th Street, Lamar, Missouri:  Yale forktruck tire/rim
assemblies were
serviced by employees without having the proper safety devices and
procedures/practices
in place:
(a)The employer did not provide training to employees required to service
the
wheels on the hazards associated with those wheels.
(b)The employer had not established a safe operating procedure for
servicing
the
wheels.
(c)The employer did not provide a chart or manual containing instructions
for the
type of wheels being serviced.
(d)The employer did not provide a restraining device for use when
inflating the tires.
(e)The employer did not provide a clip-on chuck for the air line assembly
for use
when inflating the tires.
While ultimate responsibility for correcting the hazard rests with the
employer, given
his/her superior knowledge of the workplace, feasible and acceptable
methods to correct
this hazard, among others, include:
Provide training to employees required to service the wheels in the
hazards posed
by those wheels and in the proper procedure necessary to eliminate those
hazards.
These procedures are outlined in the Yale Operator's Manual and Service
Maintenance Manual.
Establish a safe operating procedure for employees to follow when
servicing the
wheels.  Instructions for servicing are outlined in the Yale Operator's
Manual,
Service Maintenance Manual, and Yale Service News SE-978.
Provide to employees required to service wheels the Yale Operator's Manual,
Service Maintenance Manual, and Yale Service News SE-978, and make these
publications available in the service area.
Provide an inflation safety device, such as a safety cage or rack, to
contain the
tire/rim assembly should separation occur during tire inflation.
Provide an air line assembly with a clip-on chuck to allow employees to
stand
clear of the trajectory area during tire inflation.
On or about 6/8/98, an employee sustained fatal injuries when the rim
separated
from the tire
of a Yale forktruck and struck him in the head and chest.
Abatement certification is required for this violation (using the
CERTIFICATION OF
CORRECTIVE ACTION WORKSHEET), and in addition, documentation demonstrating
that
abatement is complete must be included with your certification.  This
documentation may
include, but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the
equipment, photographic
or video evidence of abatement, or other written records.