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A judge upheld penalties against United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) for an accident in 2021 that resulted in an employee losing five toes after a Boeing (BA) 737’s tire ran over their foot while being towed.
The ruling allows the Occupational Safety & Hazard Administration to levy $14,502 in fines against United Airlines (UAL) for the Nov. 24, 2021, accident at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission made a decision in April, and the airline petitioned for an appeal late last month, according to OSHA.
The employee belonged to the airline’s towing staff, officials said. Investigators said United Airlines (UAL) didn’t follow company practices on towing airplanes.
“United Airlines (UAL) could have prevented an employee from suffering a debilitating injury had the company followed its own safety procedures for towing a jet weighing as much as 50 tons,” OSHA Area Director Joseph Czapik in Parsippany, New Jersey, said in a statement. “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.”
The court also ruled that United Airlines (UAL) left technicians in danger of serious injuries, according to a news release. United Airline (UAL) asserted the accident resulted from employee misconduct.
