OSHA Inspection: YALE PROPERTIES

Issued

Jun 28, 2001

Abate by

Jul 25, 2001

Penalty

Initial $1,225 · Current $613 Reduced

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 hazards of falling down the hoistway shaft when the
elevator car was not in
the landing zone, being struck by the elevator car when the car was
entering or leaving the
landing zone or having part of their body caught between the moving
elevator and the hoistway.
A feasible and useful method to correct this hazard, among other methods,
is to provide elevator
hoistway or landing doors or gates that are electrically interlocked to
prevent the elevator car
from moving when the landing doors or gates are in the open position and
so latched that the
landing doors or gates cannot be opened from the landing side unless the
elevator car is within
the landing zone:
Basement level:  On June 4, 2001, the electrically interlocked door on the
freight
elevator failed
and an employee opened the doors and fell into the elevator pit.