Tire Safety

Running to Destruction Its not a safe practice –Potential for loss of control –Potential for debris to injure personnel if tire ruptures Tires with damaged structural component create safety hazard

Structural Components Tire manufacturer consulted since tires have different designs Inspection of defects, such as determining depth of cuts, on pressurized tire can create safety hazard - deflate tire before inspection

Belts Impact /penetration belts between tread & structural belts –Exposed impact /penetration belts inspected –Exposed structural belts removed from service –Ply rating is nominal strength rating & doesn’t indicate number of belts Continental Tire considers tire with any belt exposed not “viable”

Sidewall 1 structural belt in sidewall with a non-structural turn up of belt in bead area –Exposed turn up wires inspected –Exposed sidewall structural belt wires removed from service

Radial Tire Tread Shoulder Sidewall Air ChamberBead BundleChafer Turn Up Ply Belts

Rims Damaged rims can damage tires –Rims with minor damage scheduled for maintenance, cracked rims or damaged lock rings immediately removed from service Wheel driver keys not considered structural components –Missing keys allow rim to slip, wear o-ring, & cause air loss - schedule for maintenance

Driver Key Insert Damaged Rim

Structural Components Many defects in tread & sidewall areas can be repaired Manufacturer establishes tire’s repair limits Proper repair is essential to maintain tire safety Moving tire with structural defect to inside rear axle position is unsafe

Maintenance Training Develop schedules & out-of- service criteria Equipment operators visually inspect tires during pre-shift inspection & trained to recognize hazardous tire defects Maintenance personnel trained to safely & properly inspect & repair

Maintenance Training Society of Automotive Engineers: Off Road Tire Conditions Removal Guidelines- Draft Draft available for review, comments requested Note - this document does not affect Agency policy

Defects Bulge: area of separation packed with rubber that has migrated from adjoining area of separation. Blister: localized bubble on tire surface Chipping: flaking or tearing away small bits of tread rubber

Defects Chunking: tearing or breaking away pieces of tread rubber Cracks: splits or narrow breaks in rubber compounds not caused by foreign object Cut: damage made by sharp or jagged objects

Typical defects Exposed cord: belt, ply or steel chafer/bead area reinforcement seen Puncture: air chamber penetrated by foreign object causing air loss Separation: parting of de- bonding of any adjacent parts

10 Do’s 1.Pick correct tire for the job 2.Check air pressure 3.Conduct pre-shift inspections 4.Get monthly or bimonthly professional inspections 5.Repair problems early

10 Do’s 6.Rotate tires 7.Establish tracking program 8.Conduct out-of-service surveys 9.Limit weight & loads 10.Care about the tires

10 Don'ts 1.Just put on cheapest tire 2.Let air down for smooth ride 3.Just kick tires & go 4.Assume you know everything 5.Just let things go 6.Let front tires be your worst tires

10 Don’ts 6.Assume you are doing good with your tire program 7.Throw away tires without knowing why 8.Run overloaded when you could have tires that can carry the load more effectively 9.Tell operators to not worry about the tires, just run them

Safety References Manufacturers, tire industry organizations, & machine manufacture’s tire safety & maintenance information