Tyre company handed 12 citations after deathTennessee-headquartered Mitchell Industrial Tire is facing USD288,299 in proposed fines after it was issued with 12 citations from the US Department of Labor, following the June 2024 death of a forklift operator who was struck by falling pallets at its Texas distribution centre.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says the Labor Department’s investigation into the operator’s death found it could have been prevented if the correct workplace training and pallet storage procedures had been in place.
“Responding to the June 2024 incident at Mitchell Industrial Tire Co. Inc.'s distribution centre, inspectors with the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found widespread safety failures that exposed dozens of employees to potentially serious and deadly injuries,” a US Department of Labor statement reads.
“OSHA inspectors learned the forklift operator was struck by a falling pallet of industrial truck tyres after the pallet's three-tier rack storage system failed. The system's vertical supports were damaged and the horizontal beam locks were missing.
“The company was cited for 12 violations, including failing to properly train forklift drivers and improperly storing unbanded pallets higher than 16-feet."
The 12 citations - each deemed serious - also included the employer not ensuring the workplace was free from recognised struck-by hazards likely to cause death or serious injury, use of a defective forklift and failure to keep emergency exits unblocked.
Fort Worth OSHA area director Timothy Minor says: “Neglecting to train forklift operators properly can lead to devastating consequences, as seen at Mitchell Industrial Tire.”
“The company must comply with safety requirements to protect workers from the many hazards present in warehouses and manufacturing facilities, in line with industry best practices and federal regulations designed to prevent serious injuries and fatalities,” Minor adds.
Mitchell Tire has 15 days from receipt of the citations to comply or to contest the findings.