OSHA Inspection: BARBEE CURRAN ELEVATOR COMPANY

Issued

Nov 20, 1997

Abate by

Nov 25, 1997

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
recognizable hazards
that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees, in that, the
employer's escalator installation procedures deviated from industry
practice and from the
procedures specified in the installation contract, leading to the death of
an employee on May
23, 1997.
12th G Streets, N.W. The employer failed to properly install two truss
segments of a 90 foot
long escalator in the following ways:
(a)  The nuts and bolts used to fasten the truss segments were "hand
tightened" and had not
been appropriately torqued prior to placing them under tension.
(b)  Of the twelve (12) bolts assemblies required for the connection of
the truss segments,
only eleven were installed prior to submitting them to tension and
compression
(bending).
(c)  Once the substandard field connection of the truss segments had been
made, they were
lifted from one end thereby transmitting the total weight of the two
segments to the bolt
connections which were the weakest point.
(d)  The upper intermediate support that was intended to be installed at
the two thirds span of
the top truss segment had been omitted.
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable means of abatement would
be:
1.Reattach the two chain falls to the lower end of the upper truss segment
prior to
lifting the connected truss segment with the crane.
2.Install and properly torque all twelve (12) of the required connection
nut/bolt
assemblies prior to lifting the connected truss segments, thereby
maintaining the structural
integrity of the connections.
3.Install the upper intermediate support, as specified in the construction
drawings,
before lowering the top truss segment into its final position.