OSHA Inspection: ELUL REALTY CORP.

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Jul 24, 1995

Penalty

Initial $2,100 · Current $2,100

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:
The hazard of being caught in while riding or falling through open shaft
way doors
because of inoperative shaft way door interlocks, as in:
a)In building B; on freight elevators number F 1850 and F 1851, being
caught in
open shaft way doors while elevator was moving or falling through the
opening,
and,
b)In building A; on freight elevator number F 1852, being caught in the
open shaft
way doors while the elevator was moving or falling through openings, and,
c)In building C; on freight elevator number F 2875, being caught in the
open
shaft
way doors while the elevator was moving or falling through openings,
because;
The employer failed to insure that interlocks installed on the freight
elevators were
operable as required by;  ASME A 17.3 - 1993 - 2.7.1  Mechanical Locks and
Electrical
Contacts Permitted for Freight Elevators.
(c) Hoist way-unit system combination mechanical locks and electric
contacts may
be used for manually opened vertically sliding counterbalanced doors or
gates
under the following conditions:  (2) freight elevators with any travel
for any
door, the sill of which is within 5 ft (1.5 m.) of the bottom of the pit.
Hazardous condition was caused by freight elevators that were equipped
with non functioning
shaft way door interlocks.  The employees were exposed when operating,
working or riding on
the elevators, on or about March 23, 1995.
Two of the elevators, numbers F 1852 and F 2875 were being operated under
"cease
use" violations from The Building Department of The City of New York.
Abatement:  Among others, a feasible and practical means of abatement
would be to install or
repair shaft way door electrical contacts as referenced by:  ASME A.17.3
1993 2.7.1 (c)(2).

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Aug 21, 1995

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $750

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:
Falling as much a six stories through gap at rear of car, being struck by
shifting freight
that may have hit stationary elements in the shaft way, being caught
between moving
elevators and shaft when riding, being struck by irregularities in shaft
way due to the
absence of elevator car rear enclosures because employer failed to enclose
elevators
as
required by;
ASME A 17.3 - 1993 - 3.4.1 Car Enclosures;  Cars shall be fully enclosed
on all non entrance
sides and on the top.
Employees were exposed when loading, working or riding on the elevators on
or before March
23, 1995.  Hazards were caused by the freight elevators not having
enclosures at the rear of the
cars.  Elevator cars were numbered; F 1850 and F 1851 and were in building
"B".
Abatement:  Among others, a feasible and practical means of abatement
would be to install
enclosures as referenced by:  ASME A 17.3 - 1993 - 3.4.1  Car Enclosures.

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Aug 21, 1995

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $750

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:
The hazard of being struck by or being caught between components of the
elevator car
and shaft way doors and irregularities in the shaft way because of the
lack of front and
rear elevator car gates which exposed them to:
a)In building "B"; on freight elevators number F 1850 and F 1851 being
exposed to hazards due to the lack of front gates on cars and,
b)In building "A"; on freight elevator number F 1852 being exposed to
hazards on pass through elevator due to the lack of front and rear car
gates and;
c)In building "C"; on freight elevator number F 2875 being exposed to
hazards on pass through elevator due to the lack of front and rear car
gates.
Employees were exposed on or before March 23, 1995, when operating or
riding on the moving
elevators because;
The employer failed to install or maintain car gates as required by ASME A
17.3
- 1993
- 3.4.2 Car Doors and Gates.
(a) Doors, Gates, and Electric Contacts.  Cars shall have a car door or
gate
provided at each entrance equipped with a car door or gate electric
contact.
Hazardous condition was caused by freight elevators that did not have
front or rear car gates.
The employees were exposed when operating or riding on the elevators.
Abatement: Among others, a feasible and practical means of abatement would
be to install or
repair elevator car gates as referenced by ASME A 17.3 - 1993 - 3.4.2
(a).2

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Aug 21, 1995

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $750

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:
The hazard of, disorientation due to darkness and, being struck by
stationary elements
in shaft ways while elevators were moving in the dark, being struck by
freight on cars
in case of dislodgement in the dark because;  Employer failed to install
or maintain lights
in freight elevators as required by ASME A 17.3 - 1993  3.4.5(a) Interiors
of cars shall
be provided with an electric light or lights.  Not less than two lamps
shall be provided
and, 3.4.5(b) The minimum illumination at the car threshold with the door
closed, shall
not be less than: (2) for freight elevators; 2 1/2 ftc. (54 lux)
Employees were exposed on or before March 23, 1995, when working or riding
on freight
elevators due to possible restricted vision due to darkness.
Abatement:  Among others a feasible and practical means of abatement would
be to install lights
with minimum illumination as required and specified by:  ASME A 17.3 1993,
3.4.5(a) and
3.4.5(b).

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Aug 21, 1995

Penalty

Initial $450 · Current $450

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer
did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:
The hazard of a falling elevator car because elevator operator not knowing
the capacity
of freight elevators might have overloaded car beyond it's capacity.
Condition was caused due to the absence of elevator capacity plates.
Elevator operators could overload cars number F 1850 - F 1851 in building
"B" andnumber
F 1852 in building "A" because;  Employer failed to install capacity of
elevator plates as
required by; ASME a 17.3 - 1993, 3.7.4 Capacity Plates, (a) Every elevator
shall be provided
with a capacity plate permanently and securely fastened in place and
located in a conspicuous
position inside the car, it shall indicate the rated load of the elevator
in pounds, and for freight
elevators, this plate or a separate plate shall indicate:  (2) for freight
elevators
used for industrial
truck loading where the truck is not usually carried by the elevator but
used only for loading and
unloading, the maximum load the elevator is designed to support while
being loaded and
unloaded.
Employees were exposed when working on elevators on or before March 23,
1995.  Elevator
cars had been loaded and unloaded with electric fork lift equipment
weighing up to 1,300 lbs.
(591 k.)
Abatement: Among others, a feasible and practical means of abatement would
be; to install
elevator capacity plates as referenced in;ASME A 17.3 - 1993, 3.7.4
Capacity Plates.y

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Aug 21, 1995

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $750

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:
The hazard of being struck by stationary elements in shaft ways or falling
in shaft way
while riding as passengers because elevator cars did not have front or in
some cases rear
gates due to the absence of signage prohibiting passengers from riding the
freight
elevators because;
Employer failed to install signage as required by; ASME A 17.3 - 1993,
3.7.5 Signs on
Freight Elevators, In addition to the capacity plates shall be provided in
the elevators not
permitted to  carry passengers which read: "THIS IS NOT A PASSENGER
ELEVATOR, NO PERSONS OTHER THAN THE OPERATOR AND FREIGHT
HANDLERS ARE PERMITTED TO RIDE ON THIS ELEVATOR".
The sign shall be located in a conspicuous position and permanently and
securely
fastened to the car enclosure.
The signs shall be readily legible with 1/2 inch (13 mm) high letters.
Employees were exposed, on or before March 23, 1995,  when riding on
freight
elevators
numbers F 1850, F 1851, F 1852 and F 2875.  Elevators did not have front
or rear gates or
enclosures and were intrinsically dangerous.
Abatement:  A feasible and practical means of abatement would be to
install signage as
referenced by;  ASME a 17.3 - 1993, 3.7.5 Signs on Freight Elevators.

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Aug 21, 1995

Penalty

Initial $750 · Current $750

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards that
were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that employees
were exposed to:
The hazard of being trapped in elevator car (in case of fire or emergency)
due to not having car
emergency signalling devices because;
Employer failed to install or maintain in working condition alarm signals
in elevators
number 2875 - in building "C" and number 1852 -in building "A", as
required by:
ASME A 17.3 - 1993 - 3.11(a)(1)  Car Emergency Signalling Devices,
(a) Elevators shall be provided with the following: (1) an audible
signalling
device, operating from the emergency stop switch, when provided, and from a
switch marked "ALARM" which is located inside the building and audible
inside
the car and outside the hoist way.  One signalling device may be used for
a group
of elevators.
Employees were exposed when working on the elevators on or about March 23,
1995.
Abatement:  Among others a feasible and practical means of abatement would
be to install alarm
signals as referenced in ASME a 17.3 - 3.11.1(a)(1)  Car Emergency
Signalling Devices.ng

Issued

Jul 19, 1995

Abate by

Aug 21, 1995

Penalty

Initial $450 · Current $450