OSHA Inspection: PUBLIC WAREHOUSING INC.

Issued

Nov 18, 1992

Abate by

Dec 21, 1992

Penalty

Initial $3,500 · Current $3,500

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:
a)  Warehouse;
Employees operating a freight elevator and/or riding a freight elevator
and/or working in the vicinity of a freight elevator were exposed to the
hazard of falling into the elevator shaft and/or being crushed by the
elevator cab due to the elevator hoistway doors not having a functioning
interlock system for freight elevators #5 and #6.
Violation observed on or about 6/4/92
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to:
1.  Equip each freight elevator with a hoistway unit system
hoistway door interlock as required by:
American National Standard/American Society of Mechanical
Engineers A17.3-1986/Section 2.7.1(b)
b)  Warehouse;
Employees were exposed to the hazard of being caught and/or crushed
by shaftway wall.   Elevator cars #5 and #6 were not fully enclosed
on all non-entrance sides.
Violation observed on or about 6/4/92
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to:
1.  Fully enclose all no-entrance sides of car.  The car
enclosure may be perforated, however, the enclosure in
front of and extending six inches on each side of the
counterweight runaway shall be unperforated.
Reference Publications:
American National Standard Institute/American Society of
Mechanical Engineers A 17.3-1986/Section 3.4.1.
c)  Warehouse;
Employees were exposed to the hazard of being caught and/or crushed
by missing hoistway door vision panel.  Freight elevator #5, hoistway
door on floor #3 was not provided with a vision panel, exposing
employees to amputations of head and hands from an ascending and
descending elevator car.
Violation observed on or about 6/4/92
Among other methods one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to:
1.  Provide a vision panel for the hoistway door or close the
opening.
Reference Publication:
American National Standard Institute/American Society of
Mechanical Engineers A17.3-1986/Section 2.6.3.
d)  Warehouse;
Employees were exposed to the hazard of physical contact with moving
elevator components, ie:  gears, wire cable and open circuits 440
V DC.  Access doors to machine rooms for freight elevators #4, #5,
#6 were not kept closed and locked.
Violation observed on or about 6/4/92
Among other methods one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to:
1.  Immediately close and lock access door to machine rooms,
prohibiting unauthorized entry of personnel.
Reerence publication:
American National Standard institute/American Society of
Mechanical Engineers A17.3-1986/Section 2.2.2.
e)  Warehouse;
Employees were exposed to the hazards of fire from plywood doors on
hoistway openings.  Fire-resistandthoistway doors were not provided
for freight elevator #6.
Violation observed on or about 6/4/92
Among other methods one feasible and acceptable method to correct
this hazard is to:
1.  provide elevator hoistways with fire-resistant doors.
Reference Publication:
American National Standard Institute/American Society of
Mechanical Engineers A17.3-1986/Section 2.1.1.
f)  Warehouse:
Employees were exposed to the hazard of being crushed by the load
or the industrial truck in the elevator.  An emergency lighting system
was not provided in elevators #5 and #6 that would be automatically
turned on in all elevators in service immediately after normal car
lighting power fails.
Violation observed on or about 6/4/92
Among other methods one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is to:
1.  Provide an emergency lighting system for all elevators in
service, emergency lights shall be automatically turned on
immediately after normal car lighting power fails.
Reference Publication:
American National Standard Institute/American Society of
Mechanical Engineers A17.3-1986/Section 1.5(b).
American National Standard Institute/American Society of
Mechanical Engineers A17.3-1986/Section 204.7(a)(3)(a).