BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TIRE OPERATIONS

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS TIRE OPERATIONS — a tire manufacturing (except retreading) facility located at 4600 NW 2ND AVENUE, DES MOINES, IA 50313 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 34 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $30,000.00. The inspection case was opened on 2014-02-17.

The volume of citations issued during this inspection suggests systematic compliance deficiencies rather than isolated incidents. Facilities with 10 or more citations typically face comprehensive abatement requirements and may be subject to follow-up inspections.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 3.3 per 100 full-time workers — 22% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 2.3 per 100,000 workers.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA shows no current violations for this facility. regulated under: Clean Air Act. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $30,000.00 is more than 3.6× the national average of $8,414.32 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 326211). This sector encompasses 52,095 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $438.3M.

State Context: Within IA, this facility's penalty places it at the 99th percentile among 19,658 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,797.42.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 34 citations spanning 6 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 1 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm. 14 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning June 10, 2014 with the latest abatement deadline set for July 29, 2015. Of the 34 total citations, 15 (44%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, which may indicate ongoing compliance gaps requiring further regulatory attention.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $30,000.00 reflects OSHA's gravity-based penalty calculation methodology, which considers the severity of potential injury, the probability of occurrence, the employer's size, good faith, and violation history. The per-citation average of $882.35 falls within the standard penalty range.

The inspection of Bridgestone’s Des Moines facility revealed a pervasive breakdown in fundamental safety controls