Elevator accidents & injuries/CPWR Deaths and Injuries involving elevators or escalators in construction and general population

I was putting together our monthly safety meeting reviewing the recent accidents and CPWR report that I got clued in on by Tom Sybert’s Elevator Radio Show, www.elevatorradioshow.com, and the information is eye opening.  In the last month I have tracked the following incidents. 

Recent accident or accident outcomes

Death of Hotel worker – Toronto, Canada - This was an accident from 2016 who appears to have been killed in a freight elevator accident on rigged doors.

Manhattan man falls 4 stories down elevator shaft – SOHO Manhattan – New York – Man falls down 4 stories after stepping into an open elevator shaft

Fort Worth Nurse crushed by elevator – Fort Worth – Texas – Mid 50’s woman steps onto elevator and loses balance and elevator continued to rise and she was crushed.

9 Year old Girl falls 30’ down elevator shaft – Utica, New York – Girl falls down the elevator shaft

Airport construction worker dies after falling into elevator shaft – Salt Lake City, Utah – Construction worker falls down 40 into elevator shaft

Detroit Hide and seek game leads to death down elevator shaft – Detroit, Michigan – Hide in seek game in abandoned building goes wrong.

CPWR report – I reviewed the CPWR’s report on death and injuries involving elevators or escalators in construction and the general population from 2007-2017.  I encourage you to review the report a few important points.  Please note that OSHA does not differentiate the elevator industry at this point[elevator industry professionals vs construction].  OSHA is working on alliances with IUEC and other organization for industry specific data.

1.    Elevator related fatalities have a linear rise between 2003-2016

2.    Fall to lower level tops injury list with caught in/compressed by object/equip a 2^nd

3.    How we die

a.    Multiple traumatic injuries and disorders

b.    Intracranial injuries, internal injuries to organs and blood vessels of the trunk

c.    Asphyxiation, strangulations, suffocations

d.    Electricutions, electrical shock

4.    How it happens

#1 construction, assembling & dismantling – Elevator professionals

#3 Repair/Maintenance – Elevator professionals

#5 Inspecting/checking – Elevator professionals  

5.    Elevator related construction deaths 50 times more likely than other trades[includes fall down shaft or injuries by other trades]

6.    Elevator related nonfatal injuries in construction generally declined from 2003 to 2016 – non fatal injuries down – fatal injuries up

7.    Construction tops list where injuries occur

8.    Top injuries

a.    Caught in/compressed by objects/equip

b.    Fall to lower level

c.    Struck by object/equip

d.    Fall on same level

9.    Who is getting hurt

a.    Workers 16-24 year olds

b.    Workers 45 to 54 year olds

10. Elevator related injuries need more time to heal than other types of injuries – 31 or more days

a.    Did not note on permanency of injury

Take away – As an industry we cannot prevent all the accidents or dangerous situations.  As an industry we can work towards preventing a majority of the potentially dangerous situations.  Building owners/general contractors need to be responsible, elevator contracting companies need to be responsible and elevator professionals need to be responsible.  It takes all three parts of the equation to provide safe vertical transportation, construction and building wellbeing.

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

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