To recognize National Tire Safety Week June 5-11, the Tire Industry Association and Michelin Americas Truck Tires has released a truck tire training video for fleet operators, tire shop managers and maintenance technicians. The video details proper safety procedures when handling truck tires in the shop.
“Michelin has generously supported the TIA Foundation for years so we can continue to provide commercial tire dealers and fleets with free safety videos,” says Roy Littlefield, TIA executive vice president. “This is a perfect example of TIA working directly with a tire manufacturer to address the educational needs of the tire service industry. We are proud of our partnership with Michelin on this video and our collective longstanding commitment to raise the level of education by providing free safety training.”
The 18-minute video, “Tire Shop Hazard Assessment,” is designed to help tire dealers and fleets comply with various Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations that are designed to protect technicians from potential safety risks in the workplace. Specifically, this video covers the OSHA regulation for personal protective equipment (PPE), 29 CFR 1910.132, that requires every employer to perform a workplace assessment to determine if any existing hazards require PPE.
The video emphasizes the importance of proper safety procedures and PPE through demonstrations. One scene shows a valve core being launched at a hard-boiled egg to demonstrate the need for proper eye protection. Another scene shows a tire in a restraining device (or “safety cage”) and what can happen if a technician, or a test dummy, is inside the trajectory of the sidewall when the tire separates from the wheel during inflation.
“When tires do not get the proper care, handling or maintenance in the shop, it can easily lead to property damage or personal injury,” says Doug Jones, MATT customer engineering support manager. “Michelin and TIA want to remind tire shops of safety procedures, industry requirements and best practices to help ensure the safest possible work environment.”
The fourth in a series produced by TIA and Michelin, the video is available on the Michelin Truck Tires YouTube channel, as well as the Michelin Website and the TIA Website. The first three videos are also available online. “Tubeless Radial Truck Tire Safety” covers the risks when servicing and inflating radial tires; “Commercial Roadside Service” outlines safety practices for service trucks and other roadside repairs; and “Wheel End Safety” identifies the hazards related to improper wheel installation and torque procedures.
