Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: FALLING

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 being caught in while riding or falling through open shaft way doors because of inoperative shaft way door interlocks, as in: a)In building B; on freight elevators number F 1850 and F 1851, being caught in open shaft way doors while elevator was moving or falling through the opening, and, b)In building A; on freight elevator number F 1852, being caught in the open shaft way doors while the elevator was moving or falling through openings, and, c)In building C; on freight elevator number F 2875, being caught in the open shaft way doors while the elevator was moving or falling through openings, because; The employer failed to insure that interlocks installed on the freight elevators were operable as required by; ASME A 17.3 - 1993 - 2.7.1 Mechanical Locks and Electrical Contacts Permitted for Freight Elevators. (c) Hoist way-unit system combination mechanical locks and electric contacts may be used for manually opened vertically sliding counterbalanced doors or gates under the following conditions: (2) freight elevators with any travel for any door, the sill of which is within 5 ft (1.5 m.) of the bottom of the pit. Hazardous condition was caused by freight elevators that were equipped with non functioning shaft way door interlocks. The employees were exposed when operating, working or riding on the elevators, on or about March 23, 1995. Two of the elevators, numbers F 1852 and F 2875 were being operated under "cease use" violations from The Building Department of The City of New York. Abatement: Among others, a feasible and practical means of abatement would be to install or repair shaft way door electrical contacts as referenced by: ASME A.17.3 1993 2.7.1 (c)(2).