Pep Boys: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jul 20, 2004: Employee is injured by exploding tire during inflation

At approximately 9:35 a.m. on July 20, 2004, Employee #1, a mechanic with a Pep Boys store in Huntington Park, CA, was inflating an automobile tire mounted on a single-piece steel rim. The customer had stated that he had brought it in becau se he was unsuccessful inflating it himself. Employee #1 placed the tire on the ground near the opening of a service bay and began to inflate the tire using a c ompressed air hose and nozzle through the tire's valve stem. As he was inflating the tire, the bottom side burst causing it to fly upwards against his right arm . Employee #1 was hospitalized for a fracture. The investigation determined that the accident was caused by Employee #1's failure to use a safety tire rack, cag e or other equivalent restraining device to contain the tire and/or rim in the e vent of an explosion.

Incident on Nov 2, 2003: Employee's face burned while replacing battery in automobile

At approximately 12:30 p.m. on November 2, 2003, Employee #1 was assigned to che ck and replace, if necessary, a faulty battery in a customer's van. Employee #1 was located in front of the van at the right side. The van was parked outside th e entrance to Service Bay Number 3. During the procedure for installing the new battery, Employee #1 used an aerosol spray can of battery protection and sealer to coat the battery terminals and cable ends. During the procedure, Employee #1 inadvertently touched the metal can to one of the battery's terminals and also m ade contact with the van's fender. An electric current passed through the can, c ausing a puncture to the can. The contents vaporized and ignited in a flash fire . Employee #1 sustained first-and second-degree burns to his whole face, forehea d, both ears and right hand. Employee #1 was taken to Sherman Oaks Burn Unit whe re he was hospitalized and treated for burns.

Incident on Oct 3, 2001: Employee run over by car while conducting repairs

At approximately 12:10 p.m. on October 3, 2001, Employee #1 worked at an automot ive parts store. Employee #1 was inside a customer's car. He had removed the ign ition key cylinder and was lying with his upper body underneath the steering col umn with his legs hanging out the open driver's side door. Employee #1 used a sc rewdriver to activate the ignition switch, which started the car. The vehicle be gan moving in reverse dragging the employee through the parking lot. Employee #1 attempted but could not reach the brake pedal with his hands. At approximately the midpoint of the car's travel in the parking lot Employee #1 was thrown from the car and run over by the vehicles front driver side tire. He received a lacer ation on the right shin and a bruised chest and was hospitalized.

Incident on Feb 18, 1996: Employee injured when tire explodes during inflation

At 1:38 p.m. on February 18, 1996, Employee #1 was inflating a 16 in. tire on a 16 1/2 in. rim. The tire exploded, and the pieces struck Employee #1's arms. He was taken to Intercommunity Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Incident on Jun 21, 1995 (fatal): Employee killed in fall against hard surfaces

Employee #1 had opened five roll-up doors and was walking toward the service des k in the service area. He was killed when he fell and struck his head against an automobile lift and concrete floor. The cause of the fall has not been determin ed. There were no witnesses to the fall. The fall occurred at the beginning of t he workshift and the floor was clear of any oil, grease, or equipment that he co uld have possibly slipped on or tripped over.

Incident on Jan 17, 1995: Employee's leg fractured by falling transmission

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on January 17, 1995, Employee #1, an auto mechanic at Pep Boys, an auto parts and repair facility, was removing a transmission from a four wheel drive Ford Explorer. The transmission came off the transmission jack , fell approximately 5 ft, and struck the employee on the right lower leg, causi ng a fracture. He was transported to a hospital emergency room by the service ma nager.

Incident on May 1, 1992: Employee hurts back trying to lift 105 lb roll

Employee #1 was attempting to lift and install a 105 lb steel band roll onto a S iroder bander dispenser. As he lifted the roll by himself, he twisted his back a nd felt something pop. Employee #1 was hospitalized for more than a week. He had hurt his back in 1988. Safety instructions on changing the band rolls previousl y given to the company's personnel required employees to use a pallet jack to he lp hold the roll in place. After the accident, the employer required that the ta sk be performed by two employees.

Incident on Aug 28, 1990: Forklift operator hospitalized when forklift runs over foot

Employee #1 was operating a Raymond 21T electric forklift, serial #RA30TT/905143 . The machine had been regularly serviced and had had a safety check the day bef ore. On this type of forklift, the operator stands at a station at the back of t he machine, rather than sitting on a seat, and gets on and off the machine from the rear end. The brakes are operated by removing the foot from the deadman peda l mounted on the floor of the operator station. At the time of the accident, Emp loyee #1 was slowly backing up and looking back over his shoulder for a pallet a bove him. He stepped off the machine without looking down to see if the forklift had come to a full stop, assuming that when he took his foot off the deadman pe dal, the forklift would stop immediately. A caster at the right rear of the mach ine ran over his right foot. While no bones were broken, Employee #1 was hospita lized for three days and had surgery to reconnect muscle tissue in his foot.