Inspection Detail

Inspection: 18842716 - Butler Aviation-Baltimore/Washington, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

A SECTIONAL HANGAR DOOR WAS OPERATED BY A SINGLE SET OF "OPEN"/"CLOSE" RECESSED BUTTONS LOCATED 20 INCHES FROM THE DOOR BOTTOM. TO OPEN OR CLOSE THE DOOR IT WAS NECESSARY TO HOLD ONE OR THE OTHER BUTTON IN TO MAINTAIN DOOR MOVEMENT. AS SOON AS THE OPEN OR CLOSE BUTTON WAS RELEASED, DOOR MOVEMENT WOULD STOP WITH NO DRIFT. A BUZZER WOULD SOUND AS LONG AS THE DOOR WAS MOVING. AT FULL OPEN OR CLOSE A CLOSE A MECHANICAL INTERLOCK OPENED THE DOOR CIRCUIT AND STOPPED MOVEMENT WHETHER THE BUTTON WAS HELD IN OR NOT. SOME EMPLOYEES WOULD "JAM" ONE OR THE OTHER BUTTON IN THE "ON" POSITION, KNOWING THAT THE DOOR WOULD STOP AUTOMATICALLY IN THE FULL OPEN OR CLOSE POSITION. THEY WERE ALSO AWARE THAT JAMMING THE SWITCH WAS PROHIBITED BY MANAGEMENT. ON THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT EMPLOYEE #1 DECIDED TO OPEN THE DOOR A FOOT OR TWO TO SEE WHERE AN AIRCRAFT WAS. HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE "CLOSE" BUTTON WAS JAMMED. HE PUSHED THE "OPEN" BUTTON AND HELD IT AS HE STEPPED INTO THE OPENING. WHEN HE RELEASED THE "OPEN" BUTTON, THE DOOR IMMEDIATELY REVERSED AND PINNED HIM AGAINST THE METAL SHEATHING/PLYWOOD WALL COVERING. THE WALL COVERING WAS FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE DOOR TO "TRIP OUT" OF THE CLOSE MODE. FORTUNATELY, EMPLOYEE #1 RECEIVED ONLY A SPRAINED ANKLE. HAD THE "CLOSE" BUTTON NOT BEEN JAMMED, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THIS ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURED. THE COMPANY IS CONSIDERING INSTALLING A "STOP" STRIP ON THE VERTICAL DOOR EDGE SIMILAR TO THOSE FOUND ON ROLLER DOORS.

Keywords: AIRCRAFT, ELECTRIC SWITCH, WORK RULES, INTERLOCK, JAMMED, DOOR, SPRAIN, ANKLE