Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002 Hazard: CRUSHING

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: a) The hazard of having their hand(s) or arm(s) crushed by the moving elevator car while attempting to open the hoistway doors from the landing side. On elevator #17, floor #6 (beef kill), where the horizontally swinging hoistway doors could be opened from the landing side by placing one's arm through the space between the hoistway doors and pulling on a chain located inside the hoistway. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct the hazard is to install proper means of opening the hoistway doors (complete with interlocks) and to eliminate any openings in the hoistway doors large enough to accomodate any part of the body. b) The hoistway of elevator #26 was not fully enclosed opposite the car door, above the fourth landing to the uppermost landing, exposing employees to fall hazards of up to approxiamtely 45 feet in distance. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct the hazard is to enclose entire hoistway in all areas where no landings exist. c) Employees using the cripple elevator (#11A) were exposed to the hazard of being struck by the descending elevator car and/or the hazard of falling into the elevator pit when the outside hoistway door can be opened from the landing side when the elevator car is not in the landing zone. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct the hazard is to repair the hoistway door interlock so that the hoistway door will not open when the car is not in the landing zone.