BOSTON — A group supporting worker safety says the incident that killed an elevator technician Tuesday may have been caused by a lack of proper procedure.
The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and health (MassCOSH) says James Jacobs, an Otis Elevator employee who died while working at TripAdvisor's headquarters in Needham, may have been killed by what the group calls a lockout/tagout-related incident.
"Lockout/tagout is performed to prevent any unexpected energization, start-up or release of stored energy, such as an unintentional engaging of a control lever or an unexpected hydraulic system failure, that could injure workers during servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment," the group wrote in a press release.
Citing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulation, the group says the company is required to set up a system for servicing equipment that will keep moving parts from starting unexpectedly.
According to MassCOSH, The last fatal elevator in jury in Massachusets happened in 2014 when an elevator operator fell down the elevator shaft has he tried to exit a stuck service elevator.
MassCOSH noted in 2005, an elevator maintenance worker was killed in a lockout/tagout event when an elevator unexpectedly moved upward.
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