Worker Fatally Injured While Changing a Tire

ABBOTSFORD, WI ‒ At the Abbotsford location of a popular Midwest tire sales-and-service provider, a worker mounting a new tire sustained fatal injuries after the tire came loose and struck him on July 28, 2021. A few weeks later, another worker from the same company suffered a similar fate at a Savage, Minnesota, location on Aug. 17, 2021.

After an investigation of the first incident, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Pomp's Tire Service – based in Green Bay – for one serious violation of standards for servicing multi-piece and single-piece rim wheels. OSHA has proposed $14,502 in penalties. The second incident is still under investigation by Minnesota OSHA.

Since 2017, five workers in the Midwest have died in similar circumstances as they serviced vehicle rims or wheels.

"Like most fatal incidents, these tragedies could have been prevented if the employer took the necessary steps to protect their employees," said OSHA Area Director Robert Bonack in Appleton. "Employers should develop an effective safety and health plan, and they are required to train workers on how to identify hazards and use required protective measures to help ensure their safety."

Founded in 1939 in Green Bay, Pomp's Tire Service has approximately 200 Midwest locations.

[View the news release on the OSHA website]

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