Mavis Tire’s Westfield location is facing a $103,331 fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for eight health and safety violations.
OSHA cited the tire store for one repeat and seven serious violations, according to OSHA documents.
The repeat citation was for obstructed exit routes found during a March 30 inspection that was also cited earlier in May 2015.
The serious violations included lack of standard railings on an open-sided platform nine feet above ground, lack of proper stair rails, lack of exit signs, failure to properly store compressed gas cylinders, failure to provide data sheets on hazardous chemicals and worker training on chemical safety hazards.
“Improperly stored gas cylinders can leak or explode, unmarked exits can lead to disaster during an emergency and missing guardrails on raised platforms creates the potential for dangerous falls,” Patricia Jones, director of OSHA’s Avenel Area Office, said in a statement. “This employer needs to address these issues and the other OSHA violations our inspectors found before someone is hurt or killed.”
OSHA inspected the tire store following a complaint from a Mavis Tire employee and never receiving a proper response from Mavis Tire when the store was contacted via phone and fax, local media reported. The employee’s complaint said the store was exposing workers to hazards from water leaking into the store’s basement, local media reported.
Mavis Tire told local media it is working to resolve the issues.
