Worker dies at a tire plant in Macon, federal investigation looks into his death
Officials have identified a man who died in a work incident at the Kumho Tire facility in Macon.
Steven Brookins, 57, was killed at the plant in south Bibb County on April 10, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The incident happened around 4:15 p.m.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched an investigation into Brookins’ death last week, according to the agency’s website.
OSHA spokesperson Eric Lucero said the agency could not provide any substantial updates regarding the investigation as of Tuesday.
Past issues at Kumho facility in Macon
Kumho was fined more than $500,000 over health and safety hazards after OSHA conducted an inspection on the company in 2019. Employees at Kumho were found to be exposed to fall risks, burns, amputation, chemical and electroshock hazards, the federal agency said at the time in a press release.
This includes a 19-year-old construction worker who fell to his death at the plant’s construction site in 2015.
Since 2016, OSHA has conducted at least nine safety investigations and documented over 40 infractions against Kumho, according to its online inspection database.
