OSHA Inspection: COLUMBINE HEALTH SYSTEM EAST

Issued

Apr 24, 2007

Abate by

May 11, 2007

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $3,150 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 hazard of "falling" into a dumbwaiter shaft and/or
being "struck by" the
descending electric dumbwaiter car:
a)  Columbine Care Center East, 421 Parker Street, Fort Collins, CO:
Employees operating a two story electric dumbwaiter were doing so while
exposed to "struck by" and/or "fall" hazards. Employee(s) assessing the
"pit"
(bottom of the shaft) area for objects (clothes/hangers) that may have
fallen from
the dumbwaiter car were doing so with the hoistway landing door open.
Condition
exposed employee(s) to falling into the dumbwaiter shaft and/or being
struck by
the descending electric dumbwaiter car. On or about December 29, 2006, an
employee of the company was seriously injured after climbing into the
lower level
hoistway door to remove objects that had fallen out of the dumbwaiter car.
The
employee sustained serious injury after being "struck by" the descending
dumbwaiter car.
Abatement Note:  Abatement certification and documentation are required
for this item (See
enclosed "Sample Abatement-Certification Letter").
Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to
correct this hazard is
to install appropriate hoistway-door locking devices as referenced in the
Safety Code for Existing
Elevators and Escalators (ASME) A17.3-1996. Specifically, paragraph
6.1.6.1 titled Hoistway-
Door Locking Devices for Power Dumbwaiters states the following:
At landings where the bottom of the door opening is 24 inches or more
above the
floor, the hoistway doors shall be provided with hoistway-unit-system
hoistway
door combination mechanical locks and electric contacts.  When locks and
contacts are used, they shall be so arranged that the hoistway door is
locked
when
the car is more than 3 inches from the landing.
Additionally, hoistway door locking devices shall comply with the following
ASME A17.3-1996 which states in paragraph 2.7.3(a), Hoistway Door Unlocking
devices shall conform to the following:
1)  The device shall unlock and permit the opening of the hoistway door
from the
access landing irrespective of the position of the car.
2)  The device shall be designed to prevent unlocking the door with common
tools.
3)  The operating means for unlocking the door shall be available to and
used
only by inspectors, elevator maintenance and repair personnel, and
qualified
emergency personnel.
4)  The unlocking-device keyway shall be located at a height not greater
than 6
feet, 11 inches above the floor.

Issued

Apr 24, 2007

Abate by

May 11, 2007

Penalty

Initial $4,500 · Current $3,150 Reduced

Issued

Apr 24, 2007

Abate by

May 11, 2007

Issued

Apr 24, 2007

Abate by

May 11, 2007