Abstract: At approximately 7:20 p.m. on May 3, 2002, Employee #1 was doing janitorial maintenance for West Bay Building Maintenance Co., Inc. at 921 Front Street in San Francisco, California. Employee #1 was on the top floor of the two story building and when she finished her task, she proceeded to walk towards the freight elevator. Employee #1 noticed the hoistway gate was in the up position and she tripped and fell towards the elevator, down into the hoistway and landed in the pit. She yelled for help, but her co-worker did not hear her. After some time had passed, the coworker went looking for Employee #1 and located her in the dark elevator pit. The coworker found a ladder and lowered it into the pit to help Employee #1. About that time, their supervisor had arrived. The supervisor went into the pit to help Employee #1 and got everyone out by unlocking the basement hoistway door. Employee #1 was driven to San Francisco General Hospital where she was treated for broken legs, a fractured right toe and other cuts and bruises mainly on her right arm. Employee #1 was hospitalized. NOTE #1:There was no serious accident-related violation because the management could not have known that the elevator could travel when the hoistway gate was in the open position. Other violations were observed and the employer was cited accordingly. NOTE: #2:There was a dispute between Employee #1's and the elevator mechanic's account of the incident. The gate had to be closed before the car could travel to another landing. However, due to the condition of the doorlock, it may have permitted Employee #1 to lift up the gate.