OSHA cites Kumho Tire in Macon for safety violations after a fatal April 2024 incident
Federal safety inspectors report that Kumho Tire Georgia failed to prevent a fatal accident in April 2024, resulting in serious OSHA violations and over $270,000 in penalties.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Federal safety inspectors have uncovered that Kumho Tire Georgia, a Macon-based tire manufacturing facility, could have prevented the fatal injuries sustained by a 57-year-old maintenance worker in April 2024. The worker died when a machine unexpectedly restarted during maintenance, highlighting the company’s failure to follow essential safety protocols.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted an investigation into the April 10, 2024 incident and found that the company had bypassed critical safety measures meant to prevent machinery from accidentally starting. OSHA issued Kumho Tire Georgia one repeat violation, 12 serious violations, and two other-than-serious violations, resulting in $271,930 in fines.
According to an OSHA news release, Kumho Tire Georgia relied on on/off controls and sensors instead of proper safety measures, exposing workers to unnecessary risks. OSHA Atlanta Area Director Joshua Turner said this was a preventable tragedy due to negligence. The investigation also revealed that Kumho Tire failed to provide necessary training for its workers to safely perform servicing and maintenance activities.
Additional issues identified at the facility included inadequate machine guarding, missing guardrails, and uncovered holes, creating fall hazards. This latest OSHA citation adds to Kumho Tire Georgia’s troubling history of safety violations; the company has been inspected nine times since 2015, resulting in 52 violations.
Kumho Tire Georgia, a Chinese and Korean-owned facility employing 560 workers, has operated in Macon since 2016.
