SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATIVE MANUAL

PURPOSE:

To provide policy and procedures for the appropriate servicing of single, split and multi-piece rims.

LEGAL BASIS:

General Industrial Safety Order Title 8, paragraph 3326.

POLICY:

All employees installing and removing rim wheels from vehicles shall utilize restraining devices and receive training on appropriate procedures of installing and removing tires from split or multi-piece rims.

DEFINITIONS:

1. Barrier. A fence, wall or other structure or object placed between a single, split or multi-piece or wheel and employee during tire inflation, to contain the rim wheel components in the event of a sudden release of the contained air from the single, split or multi-piece rim or wheel.
   
   
2. Installing a rim wheel. The transfer and attachment of an assembled rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub.
   
   
3. Mounting a Tire. The assembly or putting together the wheel and tire components to form a wheel, including inflation.
   
   
4. Multi-piece rim or wheel. A vehicle rim or wheel consisting of two or more parts, one of which is a side or locking ring designed to hold the tire on the rim or wheel by interlocking components when the tire is inflated.
   
   
5. Restraining device. An apparatus such as a cage, rack, or assemblage of bars and other components that will constrain all rim wheel components during an explosive separation of a split rimwheel, mulit-piece rim wheel or during the sudden release of the contained air of a single piece rim wheel.
   
   
6. Single piece rim or wheel. A vehicle rim or wheel sixteen inches in diameter or larger, consisting of one part, designed to hold the tire on the rim or wheel when the tire is inflated.
   
   
7. Split rim (divided) wheel. A vehicle wheel or rim where the inner section and outer section are assembled back to back and secured by bolts and nuts or other fastening devices. The outer section has additional holes that align to the vehicle wheel studs and are secured to the wheel hub with nuts or other approved means of fastening the wheel to the vehicle.
   

EMPLOYEE TRAINING:

The County will assure that each employee understands, demonstrates and maintains the ability to service single, split and multi-piece rims or wheels safely. They shall demonstrate performance in:

1. Demounting of tires (including deflation).
   
2. Inspection and identification of the rim wheel components.
   
3. Mounting of tire (including inflation with a restraining device or other safeguard required by this section).
   
4. Inflation of the tire when a single piece rim wheel is installed on a vehicle.
   
5. Installation and removal of rim wheels from the vehicle.
   

RESTRAINING DEVICES:

A safety tire rack, cage, or equivalent protection shall be provided and used when inflating mounted tires installed on single piece, split rim or rims equipped with locking rings or similar devices. Restraining devices shall comply with the following requirements:

1. Each restraining device or barrier shall have the capacity to withstand the force that would be transferred to it during rim or wheel separation occurring at 150 percent of the maximum tire specification pressure for the type of rim or wheel being serviced.
   
2. Restraining devices and barriers shall be capable of preventing the rim or wheel components from being thrown outside or beyond the device or barrier for any rim or wheel positioned within or behind the device.
   

PROCEDURE:

1. Wheel Servicing and Mounting.
   
   
   1. There shall be available in the service area a current split and mulit-piece Rim or Wheel Matching Chart, a Typical Rim Contours & Marking Location Chart, and current Rim Manual containing instruction for the proper tools recommended for the type of rim or wheel being serviced.
      
   2. The County shall furnish and assure that only tools recommended in the rim manual for the type of rims or wheels being serviced are used.
      
   3. Single, split and multi-piece rim or wheel components shall be inspected prior to assembly. Any rim or wheel or wheel component which has been rendered unfit by being bent out of shape, pitted from corrosion, broken, or cracked shall not be used and shall be marked or tagged unserviceable and removed from the service area. Damaged or leaky valves shall be replaced.
      
   4. Before making any repairs or welds on rims or wheels, the tire shall be removed and remain off the rim or wheel until the repair is complete and any welds have returned to ambient temperature. Any repair involving welding on the rim or wheel or any of its components shall only be done in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.
      

2. Demounting Tires.
   
   
   1. Split and multi-piece rim tires shall be completely deflated by removing the valve core before removal of the wheel from the axle.
      
   2. No heat shall be applied to a single, split or multi-piece wheel or wheel component except that frozen or broken lug nuts may be cut off after the tire is completely deflated.
      
   3. Tires shall be completely deflated by removal of the valve core before demounting.
      

3. Mounting Tires and Inflation.
   
   
   1. Shall be done only from the narrow ledge side of the wheel.
      
   2. Care shall be taken to avoid damaging the tire beads while mounting tires on wheels.
      
   3. Tires shall be mounted only on compatible wheels of matching bead diameter and width.
      
   4. Multi-piece wheel components shall not be interchanged except as provided in the charts or in the applicable rim manual.
      
   5. Non-flammable rubber lubricant shall be applied to bead and rim mating surfaces before assembly of the rim or wheel unless the manufacturer recommends against it.
      
   6. Employees shall be instructed not to take a position over the tire during inflation and to remain outside the trajectory.
      
   7. Whenever a single, split or multi-piece rim wheel is in a restraining device, employees shall be instructed not to rest or lean any part of their body or equipment on or against the restraining device.
      
   8. Tires shall not be inflated to more than the inflation pressure stamped on the sidewall unless a higher pressure is recommended by the manufacture.
      
   9. Employees shall be instructed not to attempt to correct the seating of side and lock rings by hammering, striking, or forcing the components while the tire is pressurized.
      
   10. After tire inflation, the tire and rim or wheel components shall be inspected before removal from the restraining device to ensure that they are properly seated and locked. If further adjustment is necessary, the tire shall be deflated by removal of the valve core before the adjustment is