Bulletin 228: Tire Servicing

Potential hazard 

Using improper methods when servicing single-rim or multi-piece wheels/tires can result in tire blowouts and explosions, potentially causing serious injury or death. 

How to control the hazard 

Injuries to workers servicing tires can be prevented by following safe work procedures. Some general safe work procedures to be followed when servicing tires can be found on the other side of this page. 

Employers are required to ensure that only competent people (those possessing knowledge, experience and training to perform a specific duty) service, inspect, disassemble or reassemble tires or tire and wheel assemblies of powered mobile equipment. This must be done according to the specifications of both the tire manufacturer and the manufacturer of the powered mobile equipment. The manufacturer’s service manuals for the tires and wheels must be readily available to the competent person. 

Remember: Before you start to service a wheel/tire, refer to the safe work procedures, including those established in the workplace and those provided by the wheel/tire manufacturers, as well as the tire servicing equipment manufacturer’s safe operating procedures. Never work on any wheel/tire with which you are not familiar. 

Recommended General Safe Work Procedures

Single-piece wheels 

1. The tire must be completely deflated by removing the valve core before the tire is removed from the rim. 

2. Demounting and mounting of tires must be performed only from the offset ledge side of the wheel. Care must be taken to avoid damaging the tire beads while mounting tires on wheels. Tires MUST be mounted on compatible wheels of matching bead diameter and width. 

3. Nonflammable rubber lubricant must be applied to the bead and the wheel matting surfaces before assembling the rim wheel, unless the tire or wheel manufacturer recommends against the use of any rubber lubricant. 

4. When using a tire servicing machine,* the tire MUST be inflated only to the minimum pressure needed to force the tire bead onto the rim ledge and create an airtight seal before removal from the tire changing machine. 

5. The tire may be inflated only when contained within a secured restraining device, positioned behind a secure barrier, secured on a tire servicing machine,* or bolted on the vehicle with the lug nuts fully tightened. 

6. A clip-on chuck with an air-line pressure gauge or pre-set regulator must be applied to ensure the worker is at a safe distance during inflation of the tire. 

7. The tire must not be inflated to more than the inflation pressure stamped in the sidewall unless the manufacturer recommends a higher pressure. 

8. Cracked, broken, bent or otherwise damaged wheels must not be reworked, welded, brazed or otherwise heated. Heat of any nature must not be applied to a wheel. 
   

Multi-piece rim/wheels 

1. The tire must be completely deflated by removing the valve core before a rim wheel is removed from the vehicle axle in the following situations: when the tire has been driven underinflated at 80% or less of its recommended pressure, or when there is obvious or suspected damage to the tire wheel components. 
   

2. The tire must be completely deflated by removing the valve core before demounting. 
   

3. A rubber lubricant must be applied to the bead and the rim matting surface when assembling the wheel and inflating the tire unless the tire or wheel manufacturer recommends against it. 

4. If a tire on a vehicle is underinflated but has more than 80% of the recommended pressure, the tire may be inflated while the rim wheel is on the vehicle, provided a remote distance clip-on chuck/in-line gauge equipment is used, so that no worker remains in the trajectory during inflation. 

5. Prior to any assembly, consult the matching charts from the manufacturer and make certain that all pieces are manufactured to fit that particular rim assembly. 

6. The tire shall only be inflated inside a secured restraining device. Restraining devices must be secured to ensure they remain in place during tire inflation and do not become airborne. 

7. A clip-on chuck with an air-line pressure gauge or pre-set regulator must be applied to ensure the worker is at a safe distance during inflation of the tire. 

8. Whenever the rim wheel is in a restraining device, the employee must not rest or lean any part of his or her body, or equipment, on or against the restraining device. 

9. After tire inflation, the tire and wheel must be inspected while still within the restraining device to make sure they are properly seated and locked. If further adjustment is necessary, the tire must be deflated by removing the valve core before the adjustment is made. 

10. Workers must not correct the seating of the side and lock rings by hammering, striking or forcing the components while the tire is pressurized. 

11. Cracked, broken, bent or otherwise damaged wheel components must not be reworked, welded, brazed or otherwise heated. Heat must not be applied to a multi-piece rim/wheel.