TOLEDO, Ohio (June 17, 2010)—Tireman Auto Service Centers Ltd. will contest a $177,800 citation from the U.S. Occupational Safety Administration, according to an OSHA spokesman in Chicago.
OSHA issued the citation April 28 in connection with an October 2009 accident at a Tireman Auto outlet. Four employees were injured when an agricultural tire they were servicing exploded, according to OSHA.
The agency said Tireman Auto failed to provide a cage or barrier to protect the workers while they serviced the tire, or to ensure the employees worked outside the trajectory path in case of an explosion. It also accused the company of exceeding the maximum tire pressure while seating the tire; failing to make sure the employees wore safety glasses; and failing to provide an inline valve pressure gauge.
The case will now be turned over to the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission, the OSHA spokesman said. The Solicitor's Office within the commission will try to settle with Tireman Auto, he said; if settlement efforts fail, the case will progress to an administrative law judge.
The spokesman did not know the exact timetable for the Tireman Auto case, but said the action could take as long as a year if it is not settled.
Randy Jones, president of Tireman Auto, could not immediately be reached for comment.