in oil tank explosions at a factory in North Carolina in 1994. Two plants in Tennessee were given citations by state OSHA officials that same year for "failing to ensure that machinery was disconnected from its energy source before repairs" (Newsweek, 09/18/00). The recent recall of certain Firestone tires is definitely the company's biggest problem. The recall began on August 9, 2000, and applies to the Radial 9235/75R15 ATX, ATXII, and Wilderness tires. The ATX and ATXII tires were produced at plants in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; the Wilderness tires come from the Decatur, Illinois plant. As of October 16, 2000, 119 deaths in the U.S. have resulted from problems with these Firestone tires. Experts say there may be as many as 250 deaths and over 3,000 injuries related to the recall. Accidents occur when layers of tread peel off from the tires, often causing the vehicle to roll over. These accidents have occurred most often with Ford Explorers equipped with Firestone tires. "Ford officials estimate the defect rate is 241 tires per million for 15-inch ATX and ATXII tires" (Firestone Tire Recall Legal Information Center). The cause of the tread separation is still a source of controversy for Bridgestone/Firestone. Bridgestone/Firestone denies that the tires are defective. Firestone also claims that high temperatures and high speeds encourage the tread separation, speculating that consumers may be at fault. High heat and humidity in some of the plants may also have caused the breakdown of the adhesiveness. The lack of air conditioning in some areas has been linked to the corrosion of the brass-coated steel in the steel-belted radials.Prior to the official recall of the Firestone tires, four former employees at the Decatur plant gave depositions regarding the allegations against Bridgestone/Firestone. Each of the employees had worked at the plant for over 30 years and had retired after a bitter strike in the mid-1990's. T...
