Accident: 898734 - Killed When Caught Between Elevator And Shaft

On August 30, 2000, Employee #1 was in the elevator lobby on the tenth floor of a local government office building, awaiting an elevator at the end of her work shift. She and a coworker were standing next to elevator #6 when the doors opened and two people stepped out of the darken spacer. Employee #1 apparently was not looking at the elevator when it arrived and, when she turned to go inside, the elevator had already started down. She fell into the elevator shaft on top of the elevator, and the doors immediately closed. Employee #1 became partially wedged in a 6 in. space between the top of the elevator and the front of the elevator shaft . She was killed. When the elevator doors were open, the top of the elevator was approximately 38 in. below the 10th floor. The elevator safety devices were not functioning properly because the car was not supposed to move from the landing with the doors open. Employee #1 was not engaged in the operations leading to this accident.

elevator, elevator shaft, caught between, mech malfunction, door, inattention, fall

Accident: 519165 - Killed In Fall On Ship

At approximately 8:30 a.m. on May 25, 2000, Employee #1 was attempting to open the 11 by 13 steel cargo door on a ship. A Gradeall forklift had been used to open the door approximately 2 to 3 in., but the top of it was still binding. Employee #1 climbed atop the 4 in. wide upper door hinge to use a pry bar to release it. The Gradeall forks were maintaining pressure on the door when it suddenly sprung open about 5 ft. Employee #1 was knocked off balance and fell approximately 60 ft between the door and the outside of the ship to the dry-dock deck. He died as a result of multiple trauma.

ship, door, lost balance, fall, stuck, work rules, shipyard, industrial truck, unstable position

Accident: 14258842 - Injured When Struck By Flying Door

Employee #1 was cleaning up in front of a mercury retort unit. A fire inside the unit increased the interior pressure and the door blew off its hinges, striking Employee #1. He sustained injuries that required hospitalization. Heavy aliphatic hydrocarbons were found in two metal vessels within the retort unit.

struck by, pressure vessel, door, cleaning, flying object, fire, high pressure, pressure release, unsecured, work rules

Accident: 120126487 - Arm Crushed In Closing Cargo Door

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on February 28, 2000, Employee #1, a supervisor and foreman employed by Ecology Recycling, was attempting to shove an assembly of light steel shelving onto the bed of a 27 ft long box trailer bed. The vertically operated overhead cargo door suddenly fell into the closed position, catching his arm against the floor of the trailer. He sustained a crushed and fractured right arm and elbow and was transported in his own vehicle to San Antonio Community Hospital. Employee #1 was hospitalized for one and a half days.

work rules, fracture, arm, elbow, trailer, loading, caught between, door, falling object, unsecured

Accident: 170205884 - Ankle Fractured By Falling Door

Employee #1 was about to start work when a door fell on top of her. She sustained a fractured left ankle.

door, struck by, ankle, overturn, fracture, falling object, fracture

Accident: 14408322 - Killed In Fall From Elevation

Employee #1 was operating an Alimak rack and pinion elevator beside an offshore jack-up drilling rig that was being worked on in a ship repair yard. The upper electrical interlock device failed to function, and the elevator operated with its doors open. Employee #1 fell about 120 ft to the ground and was killed.

shipyard, elevator, fall, equipment failure, interlock, work rules, door

Accident: 170205033 - Injured When Struck By Falling Fence

At approximately 4:05 a.m. on April 30, 1999, Employee #1, a sorter at West Resource Technologies for 10 years, was performing his usual duties. He was assigned to close the southwest gate, which was made of steel and was very heavy, with the help of another employee with a forklift. The entrance of the gate had an uneven surface. One employee would push the gate with a forklift while the other guided it. Gravity caused the rollers, which were resting on the guides, to derail and the gate fell on Employee #1. He sustained a fractured left wrist and a lower back injury. A strong wind from the west contributed to this incident. This incident may have been prevented if proper maintenance had been performed and the rollers had been secured on the guides. The employer was cited for a violation of T8CCR 3328(e), which states machinery and equipment shall be designed and secured to minimize hazards caused by falling.

overturn, wrist, back, manual mat handling, mech mat handling, work rules, fracture, inadequate maint, door, uneven ground

Accident: 125897207 - Fingertips Amputated When Machine Door Closes

At approximately 2:45 p.m. on February 3, 1999, Employee #1 removed the filler tube and reached into the opening to remove a jam of synthetic fiber. The door closed, amputating the tips of two of her fingers. She was transported to the emergency room, where she was treated and released.

jammed, finger, amputated, lockout, work rules, door