Author Archives: peter

Elevators in Hundreds of Chicago Buildings Haven’t Been Inspected in Years

Posted on February 18, 2012 by peter

Fox Chicago News checked elevators at more than two dozen high-profile locations and found some seriously out of date certificates in some of the city’s most iconic buildings.

The inspection certificate inside the State Street Macy’s reads 2004 – when it was still Marshall Field’s. Several of the Skydeck elevators in the Willis Tower, the city’s tallest building, have certificates displayed from 2005. And the certificate at the Mag Mile Niketown dates back to December 1992. The city says all of those buildings have been inspected since the new program began.

Safety consultant Dick Gregory, who has been inspecting elevators for 50 years, said that some building owners just ignore the requirements. He said that there are approximately 300 buildings downtown with elevators that haven’t been inspected recently.

“There will be problems,” Gregory said. “There will be accidents. People will be hurt.”

Read the full story on MyFoxChicago.com – Elevators in Hundreds of Chicago Buildings Haven’t Been Inspected in Years

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NOPD Sergeant Re-indicted In K-9 Death By Elevator Shaft Fall

Posted on October 8, 2011 by peter

Following a most unusual elevator-related accident in 2009, a New Orleans Police Sergeant has been indicted on malfeasance after the death of his canine partner.

Phantom, an NOPD K-9, died when he plunged 17 stories down the hoistway of a vacant hospital building on May 21, 2009. Initially following the accident, Sgt. Randy Lewis, Phantom’s handler, claimed that he was working with Phantom in an on-duty training exercise at the time.

However, new information surfaced that Lewis was working a private paid detail with Phantom at the time. No information was available regarding the circumstances of the fall or the reason for the open hoistway.

Read the full story at WWL.com – NOPD Sergeant Re-indicted In K-9 Death

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Elevator Worker Dies After Plummeting Down Elevator Shaft In Midtown Manhattan Office Building

Posted on September 24, 2011 by peter

A yet to be identified elevator technician in his 50s fell 10 stories down an elevator shaft just after 10 a.m., while he was apparently working inside an 18-story building located at 230 West 38th St., New York, NY, according to CBS News.

The technician was working with a partner at the time and the Department of Buildings is investigating the cause of the fall.

Read the full story at CBS New York – “Elevator Worker Dies After Plummeting Down Elevator Shaft In Midtown Manhattan Office Building”

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Beijing checks subway system escalators after fatal accident

Posted on July 7, 2011 by peter

Beijing MTR Corporation, which operates Line 4, and OTIS Elevator Company have both issued apologies on their websites since the accident, which happened at 9:35 am when a crowded rising escalator suddenly reversed.

A total of 30 people were injured, while a 13-year-old boy surnamed Wu from East China’s Anhui province was crushed to death.

All 1,331 escalators and elevators in Beijing subway stations citywide have been since checked for faults, although 257 escalators made by Otis remained out of service until additional safety checks could be performed. Approximately 14,000 escalators and moving walkways in Beijing will also be systematically examined following this incident.

The cause of the accident was determined to be a malfunction in the escalator’s forward lifting mechanism, causing the drive chains to break and the steps to fall downwards.

Read the full story at ChinaDaily.com.cn – Beijing checks subway stations after fatal crush

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Milwaukee Man Dies Trying To Escape Stuck Elevator

Posted on July 5, 2011 by peter

James Greiner, a 41-year old Milwaukee man, died Monday when he tried to escape a stuck elevator in a residential building. Greiner and his friend were at the building visiting a friend, who was not home, and decided to go to the roof to enjoy the view of fireworks.

When they went to ride the elevator back down, but the elevator became stuck. Grenier attempted to pry open the cab doors and discovered that the cab was stuck between the 12th and 13th floor. He then opened the 12th floor hoistway doors and attempted to jump out of the cab to the floor below, when he apparently lost his balance and fell backwards into the open hoistway below, falling approximately 118 feet. His friend called 911 and reported that he believed his friend fell down the shaft. First responders pronounced Grenier dead at the scene.

Residents at the building reported that the elevators were occasionally problematic, but inspection records show that the elevator had been inspected just two weeks prior. An autopsy is being performed to determine if there were other contributing factors.

Read the full story (and watch the news cast) on ABC 12 WISN

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No Quick Fix For Metrorail Escalators in Washington

Posted on July 3, 2011 by peter

Last October, when a record weekend crowd swarmed the Metrorail during the comedian Jon Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” on the mall, several people were injured when an escalator at the L’Enfant Plaza Station suddenly sped up before jerking to a halt, throwing dozens of people into a pileup at the bottom of the stairs. Metrorail said worn brake pads and an oil leak — worsened by a surge in riders — caused the accident. Metrorail has since reviewed all escalators for brake deficiencies.

Read the full story – No Quick Fix For Metrorail Escalators in Washington on NYTimes.com

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MTA elevators and escalators still giving riders the shaft with entrapments

Posted on June 29, 2011 by peter

A draft report on the status of a $2.7 million elevator safety project started by the by the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) revealed that “despite public concern, media attention and demands for improvement by the MTA Board, elevators and escalators remain a problem.” According to the report, in the first six months of 2010 there were 208 reports of entrapments (riders stuck in an MTA elevator). The report also noted significant concerns such as inspection and maintenance work reported as having been done may not have been performed, and monitoring equipment that was disconnected at some elevators, including elevators with the highest number of entrapments.

An MTA spokesman said the agency isn’t satisfied with elevator performance and steps are being taken to improve service. Carmen Bianco, senior vice president in charge of subways, said the agency will create a chief of elevators and escalators to improve maintenance and reliability of the equipment.

“We know we have to,” Bianco said. “We know this is a huge source of frustration for our customers.”

Read the full story: MTA Elevators and Escalators Still Giving Rider the Shaft with Entrapments, Report Finds (via NY Daily News)

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Bally’s Atlantic City Claridge Parking Garage

Posted on June 17, 2011 by peter

Bally’s Atlantic City eventually absorbed the Claridge Hotel & Casino next door, but the hotel remains somewhat independent structurally, and even has its own parking garage (which, IMO, is more convenient than the Bally’s parking garage). This is the elevator that serves 13 floors (including the rooftop) of the parking garage.

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Bally’s Atlantic City Casino Secret Elevator

Posted on June 16, 2011 by peter

Behind the main cashier’s cage at Bally’s Atlantic City is a hallway that leads to some public restrooms and private service areas. This elevator is located near those bathrooms at the end of the hall. Although it was accessible to the public, it seemed to be primarily used by casino employees. However, it only serves the 1st, 2nd, and 6th floors, skipping the 4th floor which has executive offices. When we went for a ride, there was a casino employee wearing a suit in the elevator. We had a brief conversation about the building’s elevators, but due to general sensitivity about recording devices inside casinos, I did not get to give the elevator the attention it deserved. The casino employee called this the “secret” elevator, so we couldn’t help but do the same.

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Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City Parking Garage Beltovator

Posted on June 16, 2011 by peter

Hidden behind a door with an “authorized personnel only” sign in the Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City parking garage, protected only by a simplex lock, is an old-fashioned manlift (also known as a beltovator). These types of personnel lifts are extremely dangerous, and unlike a paternoster, it is possible for a passenger to be severely injured if they do not step off at the top or bottom of the hoistway. It is also a very unusual place to have a beltovator because the passenger elevator bank is adjacent to this. It did not seem to be used frequently, if at all, and remained in the same position for the entire 3-day duration of my most recent visit.

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