Blown Air Bags - Officer Safety Concern
| Entry Date | August 31, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Issue Number | 11-046-VEH |
| Name | Marcus Studer |
| Agency | Michigan State Police |
| Address | 779 W Riverside DrIonia, MI, 48846United StatesMap It (opens in a new tab) |
| Phone | 616-527-3600 |
| Fax | (616) 527-4865 |
| [email protected] | |
| Committee | Vehicle Committee |
| Status | Closed |
| Summary of Issue | Had an officer in Michigan stopped a vehicle for suspected overweight. The offcier weighed the vehicle and initiated a Level I inspection. The vehicle was idling for approx. ten minutes, with the wheels chocked when an air bag on a lift axle blew out. The axle weighed 12,000 lbs. The officer was three feet away when the air bag blew out. It caused some temporary hearing loss and pain in the ear. The driver stated they had just replaced the air bag on the left side, but not the right side. After the air bag exploded, the air bag was lifted to stop the air loss. |
| Justification or Need | Officer safety issue. Among the instructors here in Michigan we have no knowledge of any problems, but I don't think any of the other instructors have asked around. |
| Request for Action | Want to know if there are any known issues or recalls from the industry, or if this is just a chance occurrence that officers need to be aware of. If there is more information that officers should know or precautions that they should be taking, perhaps an Inspection Bulletin or an addition to the Safety Considerations in Ops Policy 5 should be considered. |