When working in an auto shop, it’s important for your employees to stay safe at all times. Whether it’s changing transmissions or changing brake fluid, employees must adhere to a high safety standard so they avoid injuries to themselves and others. One common type of car maintenance that is very routine is changing tires and any services relating to them. Even something like rotating or changing tires can lead to injuries. To keep your employees safe while changing tires and to avoid any garage insurance claims, here are some standard safety tips:
1. Use the positive lock-down device to hold the wheel on the tire machine before you attempt to inflate the tire. If the tire is mounted on a machine that does not have a positive lock-down device, perform inflation in a safety cage.
2. Use an extension air hose with an air pressure gauge to check the tire pressure. Do not inflate beyond 40 pounds of air pressure when trying to seat the beads. If both beads are not completely seated when pressure reaches 40 pounds, completely deflate the assembly, reposition the tire and the tube on the rim and re-inflate.
3. Inspect both sides of the tire to be sure that the beads are evenly seated.
4. After the beads are fully seated, adjust the tire pressure to meet the operating pressure labeled on the tire sidewall.
5. Replace a tire on a rim with another tire of exactly the same rim diameter designation and suffix letters.
6. Do not mount or use tires, tubes, wheels or rims that are split, cracked, cut or contain signs of other structural defects.
7. Wear leather gloves when removing rocks, glass and other foreign materials from the tire tread.

At Wolpert Insurance & Risk Management, we want those working in auto shops to have the safety information they need. By passing these tips off to your employees, you’ll be putting in a concerted effort to help safety remain a high priority at your business. For more information, contact us today.