US authority fines Kumho Tire over fatal injury

Macon, Georgia – US federal safety inspectors have fined Kumho Tire Georgia $217,930 (€250,000) over health & safety violations that could have prevented the death of a maintenance worker in April.

In a 16 Oct statement, the labour department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said it investigated the fatal incident, which involved a machine unexpectedly starting to work while being under maintenance.

The authority said its investigation found Kumho had “bypassed safety procedures meant to prevent machinery from accidentally starting during maintenance.”

The company, it added, relied on "basic on/off controls and sensors instead of following proper safety measures.”

As a result, Kumho Tire Georgia was cited for one repeat, 12 serious, and two other-than-serious violations.

It was also cited for “repeatedly failing to train authorised employees to safely perform servicing and maintenance activities.”

The agency also found the facility lacked sufficient machine guarding, designed to protect workers from caught-in hazards.

Investigators also found missing guardrails and uncovered holes, leaving workers exposed to fall hazards.

According to OSHA, the Kumho Tire facility in Georgia has  has been inspected nine times since 2015, resulting in 52 violations.