In 2021, a technician with United Airlines at Newark Liberty International Airport had his right foot crushed by a 737, a jet that weighs over 50 tons, while working with towing crews. The employee had to be hospitalized. Five of his toes were amputated. The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated.
United Airlines didn’t follow its own safety regulations
OSHA investigators discovered that United Airlines could have prevented the serious injury to the employee if it had simply followed its own safety procedures. OSHA Area Director Joseph Czapik in Parsippany, New Jersey said, “This operation is recognized by the airline industry as a dangerous and well-known hazard and proper procedures must be followed to prevent serious injuries or worse.”
OSHA proposed a $14,502 penalty, which is the maximum amount allowable under federal law. As was its right, the airline contested the decision before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC). The Commission upheld OSHA’s findings. United Airlines appealed that decision, so the issue went before a judge.
Judge upholds OSHA findings
United Airlines maintained that the injuries were due to employee misconduct, for violating the tow-safety rules. The federal administrative law judge confirms the OSHA decision. United Airlines failed to implement effective means to protect the workers from hazards during towing. The judge did find that tow-safety rules were routinely violated, but that the airline failed in taking corrective action.
The lesson learned is to make sure employees are following all the safety procedures in place. OSHA will hold the company responsible for maintaining policies and procedures when it comes to safety. Interestingly, there is no specific OSHA standard for towing an airplane, but OSHA is tasked with maintaining safety standards on jobsites of all industries. If United Airlines had enforced its own regulations, it’s possible this worker’s injuries could have been prevented.
Dawn Brotherton is a Sr. Staff Writer at The American Genius with an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is an experienced business writer with over 10 years of experience in SEO and content creation. Since 2017, she has earned $60K+ in grant writing for a local community center, which assists disadvantaged adults in the area.
