OSHA Inspection: TITAN TIRE CORPORATION OF BRYAN

Issued

Jun 8, 2009

Abate by

Nov 10, 2009

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $5,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

but is not limited to, evidence of the purchase or repair of the equipment,
photographic or video evidence of abatement, or other written records.  In
addition,
the employer must submit an abatement plan within 15 days describing the
actions
it is taking to test the tire curing units, it's schedule for completing
these actions;
and what it is doing to protect employees until the tire curing units are
tested.
Every 30 days thereafter, the employer shall submit a progress report
stating how
many tire curing units it has tested and how many it still needs to test;
whether it
is meeting the schedule set forth in its abatement plan, and if not; why
not; and the
outcome of the testing for each tire curing unit tested.  After completion
the
employer will submit a final report to verify that the units have been
properly
tested.y

Issued

Jun 8, 2009

Abate by

Nov 10, 2009

Penalty

Initial $70,000 · Current $70,000

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer does not
furnish employment and a place of employment which are free from
recognized hazards that are
causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, in
that, by failing to
assure that repairs and alterations to the 59/80R-63 tire curing units
(401, 402, 403 and 404) are
made consistent with the industry codes and design specifications,
employees are exposed to
hazards such as, but not limited to, explosions, struck-by and steam
hazards:
a) Titan Tire Corporation of Bryan, Bryan, Ohio: The employer fails to
assure that welds
on steel components are of sufficient strength and quality to assure safe
operation of the
unit, and
b) Titan Tire Corporation of Bryan, Bryan, Ohio: The employer fails to
assure that
connections such as, but not limited to, welds, bolts, shear pins, and
gussets utilized to
provide required clamping forces are properly engineered and fabricated to
assure safe
operation of the units.
Among other methods, some feasible means of abatement would be to follow
American Welding Society AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code - Steel sections:
Section 2 Design of Welded Connections 2.6.7 Welds with Rivets or Bolts:
Connections that are welded to one member and bolted or riveted to the
other shall
be allowed.  However, rivets and bolts used in bearing connections shall
not be
considered as sharing the load in combination with welds in a common faying
surface.  Welds in such connections shall be adequate to carry the entire
load in the
connection.
Section 5 Fabrication 5.5 Welding Procedure Specification Variables.  The
welding
variables shall be in conformance with a written WPS (see Annex E, Form
E1, as
an example).  Each pass will have complete fusion with the adjacent base
metal, and
such that here will be no depressions or undue undercutting at the toe of
the weld.
Excessive concavity of initial passes shall be avoided to prevent cracking
in the roof
of joints under restraint.  All welders, welding operators, and tack
welders shall be
informed in the proper use of the WPS, and the applicalbe WPS shall be
followed
during the performance of the welding.
Section 5 Fabrication: 5.13 Conformance with Design:  The sizes and
lengths of
welds shall be no less than those specified by design requirements and
detail
drawings, except as allowed in Table 6.1.  The location of welds shall not
be changed
without approval of the Engineer.
Section 5 Fabrication 5.26.3 Engineer's Approval.  Prior approval of the
engineer
shall be obtained for repairs to base metal (other than those required by
5.15),
repair of major or delayed cracks, repairs to ESW and EGW with internal
defects,
or for a revised design to compensate for deficiencies.  The Engineer
shall be
notified before welded members are cut apart.
Section 6 Inspection: 6.5.1 Size, Length, and Location of Welds:  The
Inspector shall
make certain that the size, length, and location of all welds conform to
the
requirements of this code and to the detail drawings and that no
unspecified welds
have been added without the approval of the Engineer.
Section 8 Strengthening and Repairing Existing Structures, subsection 8.3,
Design
for Strengthening and Repair, Para. 8.3.1 Design Process. The design
process shall
consider applicable governing code provisions and other parts of the
general
specifications.  The Engineer shall specify the type and extent of survey
necessary
to identify existing conditions that require strengthening or repair in
order to satisfy
applicable criteria.
American Institute of Steel Construction AISC, Manual of Steel
Construction,
Volume II Connections; Welds with Bolts and Rivets in Bearing-Type
Connections:
Since the rigidity of welds prevents the joint slippage necessary for
fasteners in
bearing-type connections to come into action, the combination of welds
with A307
bolts, high-strength bolts or rivets in bearing-type connections is
permissible only if
the welds are designed to take the entire joint load.
In accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19(d), 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.  In
addition,
the employer must submit an abatement plan within 15 days describing the
actions
it is taking to properly evaluate, repair, or modify the welds and the
clamping
connections associated with tire curing units 401, 402, 403 and 404, it's
schedule
for
completing these actions and what it is doing to protect employees until
units are
properly repaired.  Every 30 days thereafter, the employe shall submit a
progress
report stating how many tire curing units have had their welds and their
clamping
connections evaluated, repaired, or modified to ensure proper fabrications
in
accordance with engineering requirements, whether it is meeting the
schedule set
forth in its abatement plan, and if not, why not; and the welds and the
clamping
connections evaluated, repaired, or modified to assure proper fabrication
in
accorance with engineering requirements.  After completion the employer
will submit
a final report to verify that the welds and the clamping connections have
been
properly designed and fabricated in accordance with accepted code or
standards.