OSHA Inspection: TOWN FAIR TIRE CENTERS INCORPORATED

Issued

Feb 21, 2003

Abate by

Mar 26, 2003

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $4,000 Reduced

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
were exposed to the hazard of being struck by exploding tires while
seating beads on the Coats
4050A Tire Changing Machine:
On or about December 13, 2002, an employee using the Coats 4050A Tire
Changing Machine
to seat beads was operating the machine in excess of 40 p.s.i(pounds per
square inch)
manufacturer's limitation.
Consequently, an employee sustained a severe laceration to the right wrist
when a 16 inch tire
was being seat beaded on a 16 1/2 inch rim using a free flow air chuck
tool
attached to a direct
air line from the main compressor which had an operating pressure up to
120 p.s.i.
Among other methods, feasible and acceptable abatement methods to correct
this hazard would
be to follow the Coats 4050A Owner's Manual and not seat beads in excess
of 40 p.s.i. and
when necessary to seat tire beads in excess of 40 p.s.i. to use a tire
changing machine equipped
with a cage, not use a free flow air chuck tool, and ensure the vehicle
rims and tire sizes are
equivalent prior to mounting.