OSHA Inspection: EASTERN COLORADO TIRE & AUTO L.L.C.

Issued

Sep 19, 2012

Abate by

Sep 26, 2012

Penalty

Initial $2,800 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.177(c)(1):  The employer did not provide a program to train all employees who service rim wheels in the hazards involved and the safety procedures to follow while servicing rim wheels:    a)  On or about June 1, 2012 and at times prior Eastern Colorado Tire & Auto LLC did not ensure that employees were protected from the hazards of servicing rim wheels.  The employees were not trained in the contents of this standard, nor were they trained to understand and use current charts or rim manuals.

Issued

Sep 19, 2012

Abate by

Oct 30, 2012

Penalty

Initial $0 · Current $0

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.177(c)(2):     The employer did not assure that each employee demonstrated his ability to safely service rim wheels by effective performance of all tasks listed in 29 CFR 1910.177(c)(2)(i) through (viii)    a)  On or about June 1, 2012 and at times prior, Eastern Colorado Tire & Auto L.L.C. did not ensure that employees were protected from tire servicing hazards.  The employees were not required to demonstrate proper safe operating procedures.

Issued

Sep 19, 2012

Abate by

Sep 26, 2012

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.177(d)(4): The employer did not furnish or assure that employees use an air line assembly which includes a clip-on chuck, an inline valve with a pressure gauge or a presettable regulator, and a sufficient length of hose, between chuck and in-line valve, to allow employees to stand outside the trajectory:      a)  On or about June 1, 2012 and at times prior, Eastern Colorado Tire and Auto LLC did not ensure that employees were protected from tire servicing hazards.  Employees repairing tires were not furnished air line assemblies of proper length and configuration.   This resulted in the employees being forced to enter the trajectory zone to change the tires.

Issued

Sep 19, 2012

Abate by

Sep 20, 2012

Penalty

Initial $1,200 · Current $1,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.177(d)(5):     Current charts (rim manuals) containing instructions for the type of wheels being serviced were not available in the service area:      a)  On or about June 1, 2012 and at times prior, Eastern Colorado Tire & Auto did not ensure that employees were protected from tire servicing hazards.  There were no charts or rim manuals, available to the employees, in the shop

Issued

Sep 19, 2012

Abate by

Sep 20, 2012

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.177(e)(2):  Wheels and components were not inspected and defective parts marked or tagged unserviceable and removed from the service area prior to the assembly of multi-piece or single piece rim wheels:    a)  On or about June 1, 2012 and at times prior, Eastern Colorado Tire & Auto LLC did not ensure that employees were protected from tire servicing hazards.  The defective wheel which exploded, resulting in a fatality, was not tagged unserviceable and removed from the work area, but rather beat witlh hammers to bring the bead setting surface into a rounded shape.

Issued

Sep 19, 2012

Abate by

Sep 20, 2012

Penalty

Initial $7,000 · Current $7,000

General-duty citation text

29 CFR 1910.177(g):   The employer did not establish a safe operating procedure for servicing single piece rim wheels which contained, at a minimum, the elements listed in 29 CFR 1910.177(g)(1) through (12), and did not ensure that employees were instructed in and followed that procedure.      a)  On or about June 1, 2012, Eastern Colorado Tire & Auto, LLC did not ensure that employees were protected from tire servicing hazards.  An employee was fatally injured when safe operating procedures to ensure that restraining devices were used when inflating tires were not developed or enforced.      b)  On or about June 1, 2012, Eastern Colorado Tire & Auto, LLC did not ensure that employees were protected from tire servicing hazards.  An employee was fatally injured when safe operating procedures to ensure that employees involved in the inflation of wheels remained outside the trajectory of the wheel were not developed or enforced.      Abatement Note:  A Safe Operating Procedure for single rim wheels includes, at a minimum, the elements listed in 29 CFR 1910.177(g)(1) through (12).   These elements are as follows:    1.	Tires shall be completely deflated by removal of the valve core before demounting.  2.	Mounting or 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 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 bolter on the vehicle with the lug nuts full tightened.  7.	Tires shall not be inflated when any flat, solid surface is in the trajectory and within one foot of the sidewall.    8.	 Employee 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 damanged wheels shall not be reworked, welded, brazed or otherwise heated.