Jefmar Roka, parent company of Treadwell Tyre Services, fined $60,000 after tyre cracks man’s skull

A Qld tyre service company has been fined tens of thousands and shut a branch down following a brutal forklift error that left a worker with no sense of smell.

Jeffery Sturdy from Jefmar Roka Pty Ltd stepping out of court after being handed a $60,000 fine for a workplace incident. Photo: Luke Lay

A Mackay tyre company has been handed a $60,000 fine for a brutal workplace error which left a worker with severe facial injuries.

Tyler Tomlinson fell off a ute and was crushed by a 150kg-200kg crane tyre at a Treadwell Tyre workshop in Sarina when he was attempting to offload the tyre off a forklift on August 16, 2021.

He suffered a fractured skull, broken jaw and lacerations to his nose and was required to undergo surgery to insert a plate into his jaw as a result of the incident.

Now business owner Jeffery Sturdy has pleaded guilty to failure to comply with workplace health and safety measures on behalf of Jefmar Roka — the parent company of Treadwell Tyre Services — and closed his Sarina branch as he “couldn’t be in two places at the same time”.

Jeff Sturdy, owner, Treadwell Tyre Service on Boundary Rd East was in court as the fine was handed down. Picture: Janessa Ekert

Mackay magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said the health and safety measures the company failed to comply with were “simple and inexpensive” as she handed Mr Sturdy’s business a fine of $60,000 on May 13, from a maximum fine of $1.5m.

Ms Hartigan said Mr Tomlinson been employed with the company for two weeks prior to the incident.

The accident occurred when a member of Sarina Cranes came to load two crane tyres into the back of his ute using a forklifts owned by the workshop.

When the worker struggled to unload the second tyre into the back of the ute, Mr Tomlinson jumped into the tray to help pull the tyre off the forklift’s arms.

He then fell back onto the concrete pavement with the heavy tyre landing on his upper body and face.

Jeffery Sturdy from Jefmar Roka Pty Ltd stepping out of court after being handed a $60,000 fine for a workplace incident. May 13, 2025

Kelli Lemass from the Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor told the court that while he had returned to work, Mr Tomlinson’s injuries were ongoing: he has no sense of smell, no feeling in his cheek bones and his upper left lip can’t lift when he smiles.

Neither Mr Tomlinson nor the Sarina Cranes worker had been inducted prior to the incident and several safe work procedures, including establishing designated areas for loading and unloading stock, and prohibiting workers from exclusionary zones, were not implemented.

“In my submission it is a significant failing to not have implemented simple measures such as those outlined in the complaint,” Ms Lemass said.

In her sentencing remarks, Ms Hartigan said that while “the offence is serious”, she did acknowledge Mr Sturdy was a good corporate citizen with community spirit and that it was “extremely unlikely an incident like this would happen again”.

“The defendant is deeply remorseful for the injuries suffered by Mr Tomlinson and they offered Mr Tomlinson support through his recovery and transitioned him from a casual position to a full time permanent role shortly after he was returned to work.”

Ms Hartigan also acknowledged that Mr Sturdy had cooperated with investigators through the course of the prosecution.

He also made what I consider to be an admission against his interest which is that Sarina Cranes had a close working relationship with Treadwell and it was not uncommon for customers from there to use the forklift however it was not condoned or encouraged,” she said.

Defence solicitor Danielle Woodward from Wallace and Wallace Lawyers told the court that Mr Sturdy closed down the profitable Sarina branch “largely because Mr Sturdy could not be in two places at once”.

“It could not be satisfied that it could discharge its work health and safety obligations whilst it was to remain open,” she said.

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Jefmar Roka, parent company of Treadwell Tyre Services, fined $60,000 after tyre cracks man’s skull