Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: EXPLOSION

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 tire failure under pressure: ESTABLISHMENT: ON JULY 22, 1993, AN EMPLOYEE WAS FATALLY INJURED WHEN A TIRE ASSEMBLY EXPLODED WHILE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO SEAT THE BEAD AND/OR INFLATE THE TIRE. THE TIRE WAS A MICHELIN LT 235/85 R 16 XCHA ALL SEASON RADIAL AND THE RIM WAS A BUDD 16.5 X 6.75 RADIAL. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE ABATEMENT METHOD TO CONTROL THIS HAZARD IS AS FOLLOWS: 1. ADEQUATELY SUPERVISE EMPLOYEES TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PERFORM WORK THAT COULD EXPOSE THEM TO HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS, SUCH AS BUT NOT LIMITED TO, MOUNTING/INFLATING TIRES. 2. ENSURE THAT ALL EMPLOYEES WHO WOULD ASSIST CUSTOMERS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF A "CASHIER" ARE THOROUGHLY FAMILIARIZED WITH ALL OPERATIONS THEY MAY ENCOUNTER. FOR EXAMPLE, AN EMPLOYEE WHO WOULD BE ASKED TO ASSIST A CUSTOMER WITH A TIRE ASSEMBLY IN ANY CAPACITY SHOULD HAVE KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING INSPECTING TIRE ASSEMBLIES FOR ANY DEFECTS AND/OR INCOMPATIBILITY AND ALL PROCEDURES AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PROPERLY AND SAFELY MOUNT, DEMOUNT AND/OR INFLATE TIRES.