Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
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The. braking. system. is. one. of. several. key. safety-related. items.. Catastrophic. brake.
failure,.such.as.sudden.air.loss,.may.lead.to.loss.of.control.and.the.driver's.inability.
to.recover..Progressive.brake.deterioration,.such.as.brake.shoe.wear.without.corre-
sponding.adjustment,.can.be.even.more.troublesome.because.it.may.appear.during.
normal.driving.and.precipitate.an.accident.during.emergency.braking.applications.
The. driver. should. test. the. brakes. for. stopping. performance. before. going. on. a.
highway..The.operator.needs.to.make.sure.brakes.are.properly.adjusted..The.driver.
should. be. trained. to. determine. if. the. air. system. is. operating. satisfactorily. and. be.
able.to.check.to.make.sure.that.low.air.warning.devices.are.functioning..It.is.good.
practice. for. the. driver. to. test. vehicle. brakes. during. a. trip.. Before. entering. severe.
downgrades,.the.driver.should.stop.and.check.brake.adjustment.
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Tires.are.one.of.several.key.safety-related.vehicle.components..Improper.tire.pres-
sure,.either.too.little.or.too.much,.can.lead.to.deterioration.and.eventual.catastrophic.
failure..A.tire.that.is.worn.or.damaged.may.fail.as.a.blowout.and.result.in.loss.of.
control.of.the.vehicle..The.principal.indicators.of.deterioration.are.tread.wear,.tread.
and.sidewall.damage,.and.air.leakage.
During.vehicle.inspections,.drivers.must.check.tires.to.make.sure.that.their.con-
dition.is.within.company-established,.out-of-service.criteria..During.an.inspection.
or. trip,. the. operator. must. monitor. tires. for. road. damage. or. deterioration. such. as.
tread.or.sidewall.separation,.cuts.or.gouges,.lat.spots.or.uneven.wear,.leaks.(monitor.
tire.inlation),.and.lat.tires.at.duals..Operators.should.monitor.tire.inlation.during.
extended.trips..Operators.should.not.operate.on.tires.with.inlation.pressures.other.
than.those.speciied.by.the.manufacturer.
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Wheels.are.one.of.several.key.safety-related.items..Incorrectly.assembled,.or.dam-
aged.wheel.components,.can.result.in.the.collapse.of.a.wheel.assembly.and.conse-
quent.loss.of.control..When.operators.are.inspecting.the.wheels,.they.should.look.for.
cracks.in.the.wheels.and.rims,.improperly.seated.lock.rings,.and.rust.around.wheel.
nuts;.check.for.wheel.assembly.tightness;.check.wheel.nut.tightness.after.recent.tire.
change;.and.check.for.missing.components.
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The.steering.system.can.fail.catastrophically.or.deteriorate.progressively..As.steer-
ing. wheel. play. progressively. increases,. it. becomes. more. dificult. for. the. driver. to.
steer..This.should.be.viewed.as.an.indicator.of.deteriorating.steering.system.compo-
nents,.which.may.eventually.lead.to.catastrophic.failure..Steering.wheel.play.can.be.
detected.by.the.driver.during.inspections..Operators.should.cite.steering.deiciencies.
on.the.vehicle.inspection.report.
