Federal workplace safety inspectors have determined the operator of a southern Alabama tire shop could have prevented a 45-year-old mechanic’s fatal injuries by following required safety standards.
An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found the tire service mechanic and an apprentice had just inflated a tractor tire after mounting it on its rim at Neal Tindol Tire LLC in Opp, Ala. on January 18 when seconds later the tire exploded as the mechanic leaned over it to unhook the air compressor’s hose. The tire struck the mechanic before flying upward, breaking through