Safety
TM 5-3805-248-14&P-1
If it is absolutely necessary to approach a machine with a suspected tire, do not get closer
to the tires than 15 m (50 feet) at the front or rear of the machine, nor closer to the side of the tire than 460 m (1500 feet).
Do not approach any tire on the machine if there is a brake fire, burning rubber or other indications that excessive heat was generated by the brakes. Brake-generated heat probably affects all other tires on the machine, even though the visual evidence is only at one tire.
If there is evidence of a brake fire or the smell of burning rubber, don’t go near the machine. FIGHT THESE FIRES FROM A REMOTE LOCATION. (Too often, the immediate response to a fire involving tires or brakes, is for people to grab a hand- held fire extinguisher and rush up close to the machine to help put out the fire.) Stay away from the machine until the tires cool Allow at least eight hours for the tires to cool before approaching the machine.
Keep observers out of the area, and at least 460 meters ( 1500 feet) away from the side of the tire and 15 meters (50 feet) away from the front or rear of the machine. See the above drawing.
There is no absolutely safe approach when fighting a machine fire. Approach only at the front or the rear of the machine and use a large dozer as a shield.
Inflation of Tires with Nitrogen Caterpillar recommends using dry nitrogen (N2) gas for both tire inflation, and tire pressure adjustments on all current and past production rubber tired machines. Nitrogen IS an inert gas and will not support combustion inside the tire.
Proper nitrogen inflation equipment and training in its use are necessary to avoid over inflation. A tire blowout or rim failure can result from improper or misused equipment.
In addition to reducing the risk of an explosion, using nitrogen instead of air to inflate tires lessens the slow oxidation of the rubber and the accompanying gradual tire deterioration. This is especially important for tires that have an expected long service life (4 or more years). It also reduces the corrosion of rim components and the resultant disassembly problems Because a fully charged nitrogen cylinder’s pressure is approximately 15 000 kPa (2200 psi), a tire blowout and/or rim failure can occur if the inflation equipment is not used correctly.
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