Inspection Detail

Inspection: 2985604 - Dover Elevator Company

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Raleigh

Investigation Summary

At approximately 7:00 a.m. on March 31, 1992, Employee #1 and a coworker arrived at a job site in Winston-Salem, NC. The employees were refurbishing two Westinghouse elevators in a multiple hoistway. At 12:00 noon, the employees were preparing to install wiring in the hoistway for a position indicator located on the first floor of the eleven floor building. The coworker positioned himself in the machine room (above the 11th floor) and Employee #1 entered the multiple hoistway and positioned himself on top of elevator #1. The coworker began feeding 110V wire down the hoistway through a 4 in. by 6 in. duct. The duct had removable access covers on the south side that had been removed on every other level to allow Employee #1 to help guide wires through the duct. It was necessary for him to reach into the section of hoistway occupied by elevator #2. The employees had run wire for approximately 15 minutes when Employee #1 was struck by elevator #2, which was fully operational. He was pinned between the divider beam and the elevator car. Employee #1 suffered multiple injuries and died of pressure asphyxia. The elevator's hoistway was not fully separated to prevent inadvertent contact between an employee and an operating elevator. All hazardous equipment was not isolated and rendered inoperative where the unexpected energizing, start up, or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury.

Keywords: BEAM, ASPHYXIATED, INSTALLING, PINNED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, LOCKOUT, STRUCK BY, ELEVATOR, ELEVATOR SHAFT