A mechanical fitter was seriously injured while removing the rear wheel assembly from a Chamberlain Champion R1250 back-steer loader with an air operated impact wrench.
Unbeknown to the fitter, the rear wheels of these machines are split rims. The rims are split down the middle and are secured by what appears to be eight wheel studs.
There were no warning decals on the plant to indicate that the wheel assemblies were split rims.
As the fitter was removing the nuts, the outer portion of the rim failed under the pressure of the tyre which had been inflated to approximately 60 psi. The fitter took the full force of the explosion on his hands and face. He was flung nearly three metres across the workshop floor, where he remained unconscious for some time.
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