OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #744607

AIRCRAFT,ELECTRIC SWITCH,WORK RULES,INTERLOCK,JAMMED,DOOR,SPRAIN,ANKLE

1988-02-05T00:00:00

Event: AIRCRAFT,ELECTRIC SWITCH,WORK RULES,INTERLOCK,JAMMED,DOOR,SPRAIN,ANKLE
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 744607
Report ID: 352440

Event description

EMPLOYEE INJURED WHEN HANGAR DOOR CLOSED ON HIM

Investigation abstract

A SECTIONAL HANGAR DOOR WAS OPERATED BY A SINGLE SET OF "OPEN"/"CLOSE" RECESSED OHIBITED BY MANAGEMENT. ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT EMPLOYEE #1 DECIDED TO OP EN THE DOOR A FOOT OR TWO TO SEE WHERE AN AIRCRAFT WAS. HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT T HE "CLOSE" BUTTON WAS JAMMED. HE PUSHED THE "OPEN" BUTTON AND HELD IT AS HE STEP PED INTO THE OPENING. WHEN HE RELEASED THE "OPEN" BUTTON, THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY R EVERSED AND PINNED HIM AGAINST THE METAL SHEATHING/PLYWOOD WALL COVERING. THE WA LL COVERING WAS FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE DOOR TO "TRIP OUT" OF THE CLOSE MOD E. FORTUNATELY, EMPLOYEE #1 RECEIVED ONLY A SPRAINED ANKLE. HAD THE "CLOSE" BUTT ON NOT BEEN JAMMED, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THIS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURED. THE CO MPANY IS CONSIDERING INSTALLING A "STOP" STRIP ON THE VERTICAL DOOR EDGE SIMILAR TO THOSE FOUND ON ROLLER DOORS. BUTTONS LOCATED 20 INCHES FROM THE DOOR BOTTOM. TO OPEN OR CLOSE THE DOOR IT WAS NECESSARY TO HOLD ONE OR THE OTHER BUTTON IN TO MAINTAIN DOOR MOVEMENT. AS SOON AS THE OPEN OR CLOSE BUTTON WAS RELEASED, DOOR MOVEMENT WOULD STOP WITH NO DRIF T. A BUZZER WOULD SOUND AS LONG AS THE DOOR WAS MOVING. AT FULL OPEN OR CLOSE A CLOSE A MECHANICAL INTERLOCK OPENED THE DOOR CIRCUIT AND STOPPED MOVEMENT WHETHE R THE BUTTON WAS HELD IN OR NOT. SOME EMPLOYEES WOULD "JAM" ONE OR THE OTHER BUT TON IN THE "ON" POSITION, KNOWING THAT THE DOOR WOULD STOP AUTOMATICALLY IN THE FULL OPEN OR CLOSE POSITION. THEY WERE ALSO AWARE THAT JAMMING THE SWITCH WAS PR

Victim

#1 Hospitalized Age 19 M

Nature of injury
20

Part of body
11

Event type
2

Source
8

Occupation code
999

Human factor
9

Environmental factor
4

Task assigned
1

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