Thyssenkrupp Access Corp., 36711-36715 [2021-14819]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 13, 2021 / Notices
50 Water Street, Mill 2, Newburyport,
MA 01950.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
[CPSC Docket No. 21–1]
Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management
Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492.
Thyssenkrupp Access Corp.
The
Scientific and Statistical Committee will
meet to review information presented by
the Council’s Skate Plan Development
Team (PDT) and develop acceptable
biological catch (ABC)
recommendations for the Skate Complex
for fishing years 2022–24. They will
receive presentation on report of the
SSC Social Science Subpanel Review of
Groundfish and Scallops Specifications.
They will discuss any comments on the
document, NOAA/NMFS NS1 [National
Standard 1] Technical Guidance
Subgroup 3 Tech Memo. Also on the
agenda is the discussion of approaches
for modifying the acceptable biological
catch control rules for the Northeast
Multispecies (Groundfish) Fishery
Management Plan. Other business will
be discussed as necessary.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained on the agenda may come
before this Council for discussion, those
issues may not be the subject of formal
action during this meeting. Council
action will be restricted to those issues
specifically listed in this notice and any
issues arising after publication of this
notice that require emergency action
under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act, provided the public has
been notified of the Council’s intent to
take final action to address the
emergency. The public also should be
aware that the meeting will be recorded.
Consistent with 16 U.S.C. 1852, a copy
of the recording is available upon
request.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to
Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at
(978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to
the meeting date.
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Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: July 8, 2021.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2021–14851 Filed 7–12–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
17:47 Jul 12, 2021
Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
ACTION: Publication of a Complaint
under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
AGENCY:
Under provisions of its Rules
of Practice for Adjudicative Proceeding,
the Consumer Product Safety
Commission must publish in the
Federal Register Complaints which it
issues. Published below is a Complaint:
In the matter of Thyssenkrupp Access
Corp.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alberta E. Mills, Secretary, Division of
the Secretariat, Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission, 4330 East-West Highway,
Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 504–7479
(Office) or 240–863–8938 (cell).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Commission voted 3–1 to authorize
issuance of this Complaint. Acting
Chairman Adler, Commissioners Kaye
and Feldman voted to authorize
issuance of the Complaint.
Commissioner Baiocco voted to not
authorize issuance of the Complaint.
The text of the Complaint appears
below.
Dated: July 8, 2021.
Alberta E. Mills,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety
Commission.
United States of America
Consumer Product Safety Commission
In the Matter of Thyssenkrupp Access
Corp., Respondent.
CPSC Docket No.: 21–1
Complaint
Special Accommodations
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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY
COMMISSION
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Nature of the Proceedings
1. This is an administrative
enforcement proceeding pursuant to
Section 15 of the Consumer Product
Safety Act (‘‘CPSA’’), as amended, 15
U.S.C. 2064, for public notification and
remedial action to protect the public
from the substantial risks of injury
presented by various models of
residential elevators (‘‘Elevators’’),
which were manufactured and
distributed by Thyssenkrupp Access
Corp. (‘‘Respondent’’).
2. This proceeding is governed by the
Rules of Practice for Adjudicative
Proceedings before the Consumer
Product Safety Commission (the
‘‘Commission’’), 16 CFR part 1025.
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Jurisdiction
3. This proceeding is instituted
pursuant to the authority contained in
Sections 15(c), (d), and (f) of the CPSA,
15 U.S.C. 2064(c), (d), and (f).
Parties
4. Complaint Counsel consists of
attorneys in the Division of Enforcement
and Litigation within the Office of
Compliance and Field Operations
representing the staff of the
Commission. 16 CFR 1025.3(d). The
Commission is an independent federal
regulatory agency established pursuant
to Section 4 of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2053.
5. Respondent is a Missouri
corporation with its principal place of
business located at P.O. Box 545,
Clinton, Missouri 64735.
6. Upon information and belief,
Respondent acquired Access Industries,
Inc., a manufacturer of some of the
Elevators, in or about 1999.
7. Upon information and belief,
Respondent acquired National Wheel-OVator Company, Inc., a manufacturer of
some of the Elevators, in or about 2008.
8. On or about January 31, 2013,
ThyssenKrupp Access Manufacturing,
LLC, a manufacturer of some of the
Elevators, was merged into Respondent,
with Respondent being the surviving
entity.
9. Upon information and belief,
Respondent is a ‘‘manufacturer’’ and
‘‘distributor’’ of a ‘‘consumer product’’
that is ‘‘distribute[d] in commerce,’’ as
those terms are defined in Sections
3(a)(5), (7), (8), and (11) of the CPSA, 15
U.S.C. 2052(a)(5), (7), (8), and (11).
The Elevators
10. The Elevators are various models
of residential elevators that were
manufactured and/or distributed in U.S.
commerce and offered for sale to
consumers for their personal use in or
around a permanent or temporary
household or residence, school, in
recreation or otherwise.
11. Upon information and belief, the
Elevators include, but are not limited to,
the following models: Chaparral,
Destiny, LEV, LEV II, LEV II Builder,
Rise, Volant, Windsor, Independence,
and Flexi-Lift.
12. Upon information and belief, the
Elevators were manufactured and
distributed by Access Industries, Inc.,
formerly of Missouri; ThyssenKrupp
Access Manufacturing, LLC and
National Wheel-O-Vator Company, Inc.,
both formerly of Roanoke, Illinois; and
by Respondent.
13. Upon information and belief, at
least 16,872 Elevators were
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manufactured and distributed in U.S.
commerce from 1996 through 2012.
14. Upon information and belief, an
undetermined number of Elevators were
manufactured and distributed in U.S.
commerce through 2012.
15. Upon information and belief,
most, if not all, of the Elevators were
installed by third parties based upon
guidance and instructions contained in
materials provided by Respondent.
16. These materials include
engineering drawings and instructional
materials, including installation, design,
and planning guides (collectively
herein, ‘‘Installation Materials.’’).
17. Upon information and belief, the
estimated price for a two-landing
installation of the Elevators was
between $15,000 to $25,000.
18. The Elevators have a passenger car
that moves between the floors in an
elevator shaft, or ‘‘hoistway.’’
19. Access to an Elevator is restricted
at each floor by a hoistway door, which
often looks like a typical door installed
in a consumer’s residence.
20. Upon information and belief,
when the Elevator is parked at a floor,
the hoistway door is not locked from the
exterior.
21. The Elevators also contain an
interior door, the elevator car door,
which is usually an accordion door or
a scissor gate.
22. By design, accordion doors have
v-shaped peaks and valleys that allow
the door to collapse on one side of the
car door and allow passengers to enter
and exit the elevator.
23. This design leads to the creation
of additional inches of space between
the peak, which is closest to the
hoistway door, and the valley, which is
furthest away from the hoistway door.
24. Scissor gates are designed with
metal grates and also collapse to the
side of the car door to allow passengers
to enter and exit the elevator.
25. Both accordion doors and scissor
gates allow for deflection if pressure is
exerted on the elevator car door.
26. Deflection creates additional space
between the elevator car door and the
hoistway door.
27. Upon information and belief,
children 2-years-old and older can fit in
the space between a hoistway and
elevator car door if the space is greater
than 4 inches.
28. The Elevators are commonly
installed in homes, vacation rentals, and
other premises where children are
present.
The Entrapment Hazard Created by the
Elevators
29. Children are likely to use an
Elevator.
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30. Children are likely to play in or
around an Elevator.
31. Children can fit and become
entrapped in the space between the
hoistway door and the elevator car door
when the space is greater than 4 inches
(‘‘Hazardous Space’’).
32. Parents or caregivers are not likely
to appreciate the danger posed by a
Hazardous Space between the hoistway
door and elevator car door.
33. When the elevator is not
operating, children can open the
unlocked hoistway door, step into the
Hazardous Space between the hoistway
door and elevator car door, and close
the hoistway door behind them.
34. Hoistway doors are designed with
interlock devices, which automatically
lock when the Elevator is in operation.
35. If a child is in the Hazardous
Space between the hoistway and
elevator car doors, and the elevator is
called to another floor, the hoistway
door locks, trapping the child.
36. In such a situation, a child cannot
escape because the hoistway door is
locked.
37. In such a situation, a parent or
caregiver will likely be unable to open
the hoistway door to free the child
while the elevator is in operation.
38. A child entrapped in the
Hazardous Space between the hoistway
door and the passenger car door when
an elevator is in operation can suffer
serious injury or death.
39. Upon information and belief,
children as young as 2 and as old as 16
have become entrapped in the
Hazardous Space between the hoistway
door and the elevator car door.
The Elevator Defects
40. The Elevators are defective
because they contain defects in the
‘‘contents, construction, finish,
packaging, warnings, and/or
instructions,’’ specifically through
Respondent’s Installation Materials, and
the Elevators contain design defects. See
16 CFR 1115.4.
41. The Installation Materials are
defective because they direct, cause, or
fail to adequately prevent installation of
the Elevators in a manner that creates a
Hazardous Space greater than 4 inches
between the hoistway door and the
elevator car door.
42. The head breadths of some
children can be less than 5 inches.
43. Upon information and belief,
because of these dimensions, children
can fit in, and become entrapped
between, the hoistway and elevator car
doors.
44. Certain Installation Materials are
defective because they do not contain
specific instructions on how to measure
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the space between the hoistway door
and elevator car door based on the
elevator car door type (accordion or
scissor).
45. Measuring to the valley versus the
peak of an accordion elevator door can
result in significant space variances,
creating spaces much larger than 4
inches.
46. Installers using Installation
Materials that do not specify how to
measure are more likely to install the
Elevators with a Hazardous Space
because they are unlikely to appreciate
the importance of minimizing the space
between the hoistway door and elevator
car door by measuring to the valley of
the accordion door.
47. The Installation Materials that do
contain specific instructions on how to
measure the space do so in a manner
that will create a Hazardous Space of
greater than 4 inches.
48. Specifically, some of the
Installation Materials affirmatively
direct installers to measure the distance
to the elevator car itself, the lead post
of the car door, or the peak of the
accordion door; all points that are
inches closer to the hoistway door than
the valley of the accordion door.
49. Thus, such direction makes it
highly likely that installers will fail to
measure to the valley of an accordion
door—all but ensuring installation with
a Hazardous Space of greater than 4
inches.
50. The Installation Materials also are
defective because they fail to state that
these measurements are safety-critical
and they fail to expressly warn about
the entrapment hazard posed by the
Hazardous Space.
51. The Installation Materials contain
many fine print measurements; failure
to identify the particular measurements
as a critical safety element or identify
the hazard means it is less likely that
there will be strict adherence to these
measurements, which may lead to the
creation of a Hazardous Space.
52. The Installation Materials also are
defective because they do not require
the use of, or provide, a measurement
tool.
53. Failure to require the use of or to
provide a measurement tool to ensure
precise measurements between the
hoistway door and the elevator car door
may lead to the creation of a Hazardous
Space because installers may measure in
a way to create such a space.
54. This is especially problematic
when installing accordion doors,
because of the additional space that can
be created when measuring to the peaks
of the doors and not the valleys.
55. Thus, failure to require the use of
or provide a measuring tool may lead to
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installations where installers create a
Hazardous Space by measuring to a part
of the car door that would not minimize
the space.
56. The Installation Materials also are
defective because they fail to contain an
elevator car door rigidity requirement to
account for deflection of the elevator car
door when minimal force is applied.
57. Deflection allows for the creation
of an even larger Hazardous Space
between the hoistway and elevator car
doors.
58. The larger space created by
deflection allows older and larger
children to push against the elevator car
door and become entrapped in the
Hazardous Space.
59. The Elevators also are defective
because they fail to provide and require
use of available safety features to
mitigate against the hazard.
60. Upon information and belief,
Respondent sold safety features to
consumers as optional items.
61. Upon information and belief, none
of the Elevators come with a required
safety feature that prevents a child from
becoming entrapped in the Hazardous
Space when the Elevator is called to
another floor.
62. The design of the Elevators allows
the Elevators to move from floor to floor
when a child is entrapped in the
Hazardous Space, putting the child at
risk of serious injury or death.
63. Upon information and belief, none
of the Elevators come with a required
safety feature that would prevent the
Elevator from moving from floor to floor
if a child is entrapped in the Hazardous
Space.
64. Upon information and belief, the
potential for a Hazardous Space to exist
between the hoistway door and elevator
car door is present on all Elevator
models manufactured and distributed
by Respondent.
65. Upon information and belief, the
potential for the Elevators to operate
and move from floor to floor even if a
child is entrapped in the Hazardous
Space is present on all Elevator models
manufactured and distributed by
Respondent.
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Incidents Caused by the Defective
Elevators
66. The defects associated with the
Elevators have led to three incidents,
including the death of one child and
serious and permanent injuries to
another.
67. Upon information and belief, on
or about December 24, 2010, a 3-yearold boy became entrapped in the
Hazardous Space between the doors of
a Destiny model elevator.
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68. The elevator car door was an
accordion door.
69. Upon information and belief, the
child suffered a catastrophic brain
injury when the Elevator moved
between floors, and as a result, is
permanently disabled.
70. The child will require constant
care for the remainder of his life.
71. The Elevator was manufactured on
or about September 28, 2007.
72. Upon information and belief, there
were between 4.875 inches and 5 inches
from the hoistway door to the peak of
the accordion door, and 7.5 inches from
the hoistway door to the valley of the
accordion door.
73. Respondent’s Installation
Materials for this specific Elevator
installation instructed the installer to
measure 5 inches from the hoistway
door to the ‘‘outside’’ or peak of the
accordion gate.
74. Upon information and belief, on
or about February 1, 2017, a 2-year-old
boy died when he became entrapped in
the Hazardous Space between the
hoistway and accordion door of an LEV
Elevator that was moving between
floors.
75. Upon information and belief, the
Elevator was manufactured on or about
January 6, 2010.
76. Upon information and belief, on
or about November 28, 2019, a 4-yearold child was entrapped in the
Hazardous Space between the hoistway
and accordion door of a Destiny
Elevator.
77. Upon information and belief,
while in the Hazardous Space, the child
fell to the basement and was pinned by
the Elevator.
78. This Elevator was manufactured
on or about May 4, 2000.
79. Upon information and belief, the
space between the hoistway door and
the elevator car sill was approximately
5 inches.
80. Upon information and belief, this
child was deprived of oxygen for some
period of time, was hospitalized as a
result of the incident, and was later
released.
Respondent’s Knowledge of the Defects
and the Hazard
81. Upon information and belief,
Respondent knew of the deadly dangers
of the Hazardous Space when it
manufactured and distributed the
Elevators.
82. Upon information and belief, on
or about July 31, 2003, National WheelO-Vator Company, Inc. received an
‘‘Important Elevator Safety Information
Bulletin’’ from the Otis Elevator
Company.
83. Upon information and belief, this
letter and a safety brochure that
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accompanied the letter, highlighted the
importance of reducing the Hazardous
Space by using space guards, which are
safety devices that can be installed on
the back of each hoistway door to
eliminate some of the Hazardous Space.
84. The letter from Otis Elevator
Company stated that, with space guards
installed, ‘‘the likelihood of an
entrapment between the door and gate
and of serious injury or death is greatly
reduced.’’
85. Upon information and belief, by
2006, members of the American Society
for Mechanical Engineers A17
Residence Elevator Committee (the
‘‘Committee’’) publicly raised concerns
regarding risks posed by the 5-inch
space requirement between the
hoistway door and the elevator car door
found in the ASME A17.1 Safety Code
for Elevators and Escalators.
86. Upon information and belief,
various representatives for Respondent
and National Wheel-O-Vator Company,
Inc. participated in the Committee,
including the task group manager for
this issue, the vice chairman of the
committee, and several other
employees.
87. Upon information and belief,
some Committee members noted that 5
inches between an elevator door and
hoistway door could present an
entrapment hazard.
88. Upon information and belief, the
Committee also discussed the potential
for measuring discrepancies between
peaks and valleys of accordion doors.
89. Upon information and belief, the
Committee also discussed the ability for
accordion doors to be significantly more
flexible due to deflection.
90. Upon information and belief,
Respondent nevertheless made no
changes to the Elevators or any
Installation Materials.
91. Upon information and belief, in or
about 2014, Respondent launched an
information campaign, known as
homeSAFE (Safety Awareness For
Elevators).
92. Upon information and belief, as
part of the homeSAFE campaign,
Respondent offered space guards to
consumers.
93. Upon information and belief,
consumers were required to pay for 75%
of the cost of each space guard.
94. Upon information and belief,
purchasing space guards for multiple
landings would cost consumers
hundreds of dollars.
95. Upon information and belief,
Respondent distributed approximately
422 total space guards.
96. As part of the homeSAFE
campaign, on or about June 24, 2014,
Respondent began recommending that
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‘‘to help prevent child entrapments,
make sure the space between the
hoistway door and the cab gate is no
more than four inches . . . [and] taking
measurements from the hoistway door
to the back or rear post of the car gate.’’
97. Upon information and belief, by
the time that the homeSAFE campaign
was launched, most, if not all, of
Respondent’s Elevators would have
already been installed with the defective
Installation Materials that allowed for a
Hazardous Space greater than 4 inches
and did not recommend a precise
measurement to the valley of the
accordion door.
98. Upon information and belief, in or
about 2018, Respondent stopped
supporting the homeSAFE website.
99. Despite knowing for many years
about the potential hazards associated
with its Elevators, Respondent took no
action to correct defects in its
Installation Materials or its Elevators.
100. Because of Respondent’s
inaction, two children were involved in
incidents with Elevators manufactured
after 2006; one child became
permanently disabled in December 2010
and one child died in February 2017.
101. Further, two of the reported
incidents occurred during or after
Respondent’s homeSAFE campaign; the
death of a child in February 2017 and
the hospitalization of a child in
November 2019.
The Substantial Risk of Injury Posed by
the Elevators
102. Upon information and belief,
children, a vulnerable population, have
sustained grievous bodily injuries and
death after becoming entrapped in the
Hazardous Space between the hoistway
door and the elevator car door on
Respondent’s Elevators.
103. Upon information and belief,
children are likely to interact with and
playfully explore the Elevators, and it is
foreseeable that children could become
entrapped between the hoistway and
elevator car doors.
104. Parents and caregivers are not
likely to know about or appreciate the
safety hazard to children posed by the
Hazardous Space between the hoistway
and elevator car doors.
105. Once a child enters the
Hazardous Space and the elevator is
called to another floor, the child cannot
escape.
106. If a child is in that Hazardous
Space when the elevator is called to
another floor, the child is at risk of
crushing injuries that can prove fatal or
permanently debilitating, such as
massive head trauma, compression of
the torso, broken bones, and other
grievous bodily injuries.
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107. Children can also suffer long
term complications from being crushed
or dragged by an Elevator.
108. A child in the Hazardous Space
when the elevator is called to another
floor is also at risk of falling into the
elevator shaft and suffering serious or
fatal injuries.
109. Upon information and belief, at
least three children have become
entrapped in the Hazardous Space due
to the defects associated with the
Elevators.
110. The defects present in the
Elevators create a substantial risk of
injury to children who are entrapped in
the hazardous space between the
hoistway and elevator car doors when
the elevator is called to another floor.
111. Death, grievous bodily injuries,
and serious injuries, as defined in 16
CFR 1115.6(c) and § 1115.12(d), are
likely to occur and have occurred when
children become entrapped in the
Hazardous Space and the Elevator is
called to another floor.
Legal Authority Under the CPSA
112. Under the CPSA, the
Commission may order a firm to provide
notice to the public and take remedial
action if the Commission determines
that a product ‘‘presents a substantial
product hazard.’’ 15 U.S.C. 2064(c) and
(d).
113. Under CPSA Section 15(a)(2), a
‘‘substantial product hazard’’ is ‘‘a
product defect which (because of the
pattern of defect, the number of
defective products distributed in
commerce, the severity of the risk, or
otherwise) creates a substantial risk of
injury to the public.’’ 15 U.S.C.
2064(a)(2).
114. A product may contain a design
defect even if it is manufactured exactly
in accordance with its design and
specifications if the design presents a
risk of injury to the public. 16 CFR
1115.4.
115. A defect can also occur in a
product’s contents, construction, finish,
packaging, warnings, and/or
instructions.
116. A consumer product may contain
a defect if the instructions for assembly
or use could allow the product,
otherwise safely designed and
manufactured, to present a risk of
injury. 16 CFR 1115.4.
Count I
The Elevators Are a Substantial Product
Hazard Because They Contain Defects
That Create a Substantial Risk of Injury
to the Public
117. Paragraphs 1 through 116 are
hereby realleged and incorporated by
reference as if fully set forth herein.
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118. The Elevators are consumer
products.
119. The Elevators contain defects
because:
a. The Installation Materials direct,
cause, or fail to adequately prevent
installation of the Elevators in a manner
that creates a Hazardous Space between
the hoistway door and elevator car
doors in which children can become
entrapped, including by failing to:
i. Contain adequate and correct
instructions on how to measure the
space between the hoistway door and
elevator car door to avoid creating the
Hazardous Space based on the elevator
car door type;
ii. contain adequate instructions on
how to avoid the creation of a larger
Hazardous Space based on the
deflection of the elevator car door;
iii. state that the measurement
between the hoistway door and the
elevator car door is safety-critical or
expressly warn about the entrapment
hazard; and
iv. require the use of, or provide, a
measurement tool to ensure precise
measurement and avoid the creation of
a Hazardous Space.
b. The design of the Elevators fails to
require safety features that prevent a
child from becoming entrapped in the
Hazardous Space and that prevent the
Elevator from moving between floors if
a child is entrapped in the Hazardous
Space.
120. These defects separately, and in
combination, create a substantial risk of
injury to the public because of the
pattern of defect, the number of
defective products distributed in
commerce, the severity of the risk, or
otherwise.
121. Therefore, the Elevators present
a substantial product hazard within the
meaning of Section 15(a)(2) of the
CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064(a)(2).
Relief Sought
Wherefore, in the public interest,
Complaint Counsel requests that the
Commission:
A. Determine that the Elevators
present a ‘‘substantial product hazard’’
within the meaning of Section 15(a)(2)
of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064(a)(2).
B. Determine that extensive and
effective public notification under
Section 15(c) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(c), is required to adequately
protect the public from the substantial
product hazard presented by the
Elevators, and order Respondent under
Section 15(c) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(c), to:
(1) Notify all persons who distribute
the Elevators, or to whom such
Elevators have been sold or distributed,
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 131 / Tuesday, July 13, 2021 / Notices
to immediately cease distribution of the
Elevators;
(2) Notify appropriate state and local
public health officials;
(3) Give prompt public notice of the
defect in the Elevators, including the
incidents and injuries associated with
the use of the Elevators, including
posting clear and conspicuous notice on
Respondent’s website, and providing
notice to any third-party website on
which Respondent has a presence, and
provide further announcements in
languages other than English and on
radio, television, and social media;
(4) Mail and email notice to each
distributor, retailer, dealer and installer
of the Elevators; and
(5) Mail and email notice to every
person to whom the Elevators were
delivered or sold.
C. Determine that action under
Section 15(d) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(d), is in the public interest and
additionally order Respondent to:
(1) Repair the defect in the Elevators
by providing a free inspection to
consumers by a qualified inspector who
will measure the gap between the
hoistway and elevator doors;
(2) Install, at no cost to consumers, a
free space guard approved by
Commission staff that reduces the gap to
no more than 4 inches;
(3) Make no charge to consumers, and
to reimburse consumers, for any
reasonable and foreseeable expenses
incurred in availing themselves of any
remedy provided under any
Commission Order issued in this matter,
as provided by Section 15(e)(1) of the
CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064(e)(1), including
previous purchases of space guards or
other safety devices, and all costs
associated with those purchases,
whether or not they were part of the
homeSAFE campaign;
(4) Reimburse distributors, retailers,
dealers, installers, and other third
parties for expenses in connection with
carrying out any Commission Order
issued in this matter, including the costs
of repairs or replacements, as provided
by Section 15(e)(2) of the CPSA, 15
U.S.C. 2064(e)(2);
(5) Submit a plan satisfactory to the
Commission, within ten (10) days of
service of the Final Order, directing that
actions specified in Paragraphs B(1)
through (5), and C(1) through (4) above
be taken in a timely manner;
(6) Submit monthly reports, to the
Commission, documenting the progress
of the corrective action program;
(7) For a period of five (5) years after
issuance of the Final Order in this
matter, keep records of its actions taken
to comply with Paragraphs B(1) through
(5), C(1) through (4), above, and supply
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:47 Jul 12, 2021
Jkt 253001
these records to the Commission for the
purpose of monitoring compliance with
the Final Order; and
(9) For a period of five (5) years after
issuance of the Final Order in this
matter, notify the Commission at least
sixty (60) days prior to any change in its
business (such as incorporation,
dissolution, assignment, sale, or petition
for bankruptcy) that results in, or is
intended to result in, the emergence of
a successor corporation, going out of
business, or any other change that might
affect compliance obligations under a
Final Order issued by the Commission
in this matter.
D. Order that Respondent take other
and further actions as the Commission
deems necessary to protect the public
health and safety and to comply with
the CPSA.
Issued by Order of the Commission:
Dated this 7th day of July, 2021
lllllllllllllllllllll
By: Robert Kaye,
Assistant Executive Director, Office of
Compliance and Field Operations, (301) 504–
6960.
Mary B. Murphy,
Director, Division of Enforcement and
Litigation.
Gregory M. Reyes,
Trial Attorney.
Michael J. Rogal,
Trial Attorney.
Complaint Counsel, Office of Compliance
and Field Operations, U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, Bethesda, MD
20814, Tel: (301) 504–7809.
United States of America
Consumer Product Safety Commission
In the Matter of Thyssenkrupp Access
Corp., Respondent.
CPSC DOCKET NO.: 21–1
List and Summary of Documentary
Evidence
Pursuant to 16 CFR 1025.11(b)(3) of
the Commission’s Rules of Practice for
Adjudicative Proceedings, the following
is a list and summary of documentary
evidence supporting the charges in this
matter. Complaint Counsel reserves the
right to offer additional or different
evidence during the course of the
proceedings, or to withhold evidence on
the basis of any applicable legal
privileges.
1. Claims, complaints, records,
reports, CPSC’s In-Depth Investigations,
and lawsuits concerning incidents or
injuries involving various models of
residential elevators manufactured and
distributed by Respondent
(‘‘Elevators’’).
2. Engineering drawings and
instructional materials, including
installation, design, and planning
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
36715
guides (referred to as ‘‘Installation
Materials’’).
3. Design, manufacturing,
distribution, warnings, instructions, and
promotional materials associated with
the Elevators.
4. CPSC Product Safety Assessments.
5. Correspondence between
Respondent and CPSC staff related to
the Elevators.
6. Documents and information related
to the Elevators, including notices
issued regarding the Elevators and
similar products.
7. Documents and information related
to Respondent’s corporate structure and
Respondent’s acquisition of and merger
with other manufacturers and
distributors of the Elevators.
Dated this 7th day of July, 2021
Mary B. Murphy,
Director.
Gregory M. Reyes,
Trial Attorney.
Michael J. Rogal,
Trial Attorney.
Division of Enforcement and Litigation,
Office of Compliance and Field Operations,
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Bethesda, MD 20814, Tel: (301) 504–7809.
Complaint Counsel for U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
Certificate of Service
I hereby certify that on July 7, 2021,
I served the foregoing Complaint and
List and Summary of Documentary
Evidence upon all parties of record in
these proceedings by emailing a copy to
counsel, as follows:
Sheila A. Millar,
Steven Michael Gentine,
Keller and Keckman LLP, 1001 G Street NW,
Suite 500 West, Washington, DC 20001.
Email: millar@khlaw.com, gentine@
khlaw.com.
Gregory M. Reyes,
Complaint Counsel for U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2021–14819 Filed 7–12–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Navy
Notice of Extension of Public
Comment Period for the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Navy Old Town Campus
Revitalization
Department of the Navy, DoD.
Notice of extension.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
A notice of availability was
published in the Federal Register by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\13JYN1.SGM
13JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 13, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36711-36715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-14819]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
[CPSC Docket No. 21-1]
Thyssenkrupp Access Corp.
AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.
ACTION: Publication of a Complaint under the Consumer Product Safety
Act.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under provisions of its Rules of Practice for Adjudicative
Proceeding, the Consumer Product Safety Commission must publish in the
Federal Register Complaints which it issues. Published below is a
Complaint: In the matter of Thyssenkrupp Access Corp.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alberta E. Mills, Secretary, Division
of the Secretariat, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814,
(301) 504-7479 (Office) or 240-863-8938 (cell).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission voted 3-1 to authorize
issuance of this Complaint. Acting Chairman Adler, Commissioners Kaye
and Feldman voted to authorize issuance of the Complaint. Commissioner
Baiocco voted to not authorize issuance of the Complaint. The text of
the Complaint appears below.
Dated: July 8, 2021.
Alberta E. Mills,
Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission.
United States of America
Consumer Product Safety Commission
In the Matter of Thyssenkrupp Access Corp., Respondent.
CPSC Docket No.: 21-1
Complaint
Nature of the Proceedings
1. This is an administrative enforcement proceeding pursuant to
Section 15 of the Consumer Product Safety Act (``CPSA''), as amended,
15 U.S.C. 2064, for public notification and remedial action to protect
the public from the substantial risks of injury presented by various
models of residential elevators (``Elevators''), which were
manufactured and distributed by Thyssenkrupp Access Corp.
(``Respondent'').
2. This proceeding is governed by the Rules of Practice for
Adjudicative Proceedings before the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(the ``Commission''), 16 CFR part 1025.
Jurisdiction
3. This proceeding is instituted pursuant to the authority
contained in Sections 15(c), (d), and (f) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(c), (d), and (f).
Parties
4. Complaint Counsel consists of attorneys in the Division of
Enforcement and Litigation within the Office of Compliance and Field
Operations representing the staff of the Commission. 16 CFR 1025.3(d).
The Commission is an independent federal regulatory agency established
pursuant to Section 4 of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2053.
5. Respondent is a Missouri corporation with its principal place of
business located at P.O. Box 545, Clinton, Missouri 64735.
6. Upon information and belief, Respondent acquired Access
Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of some of the Elevators, in or about
1999.
7. Upon information and belief, Respondent acquired National Wheel-
O-Vator Company, Inc., a manufacturer of some of the Elevators, in or
about 2008.
8. On or about January 31, 2013, ThyssenKrupp Access Manufacturing,
LLC, a manufacturer of some of the Elevators, was merged into
Respondent, with Respondent being the surviving entity.
9. Upon information and belief, Respondent is a ``manufacturer''
and ``distributor'' of a ``consumer product'' that is ``distribute[d]
in commerce,'' as those terms are defined in Sections 3(a)(5), (7),
(8), and (11) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2052(a)(5), (7), (8), and (11).
The Elevators
10. The Elevators are various models of residential elevators that
were manufactured and/or distributed in U.S. commerce and offered for
sale to consumers for their personal use in or around a permanent or
temporary household or residence, school, in recreation or otherwise.
11. Upon information and belief, the Elevators include, but are not
limited to, the following models: Chaparral, Destiny, LEV, LEV II, LEV
II Builder, Rise, Volant, Windsor, Independence, and Flexi-Lift.
12. Upon information and belief, the Elevators were manufactured
and distributed by Access Industries, Inc., formerly of Missouri;
ThyssenKrupp Access Manufacturing, LLC and National Wheel-O-Vator
Company, Inc., both formerly of Roanoke, Illinois; and by Respondent.
13. Upon information and belief, at least 16,872 Elevators were
[[Page 36712]]
manufactured and distributed in U.S. commerce from 1996 through 2012.
14. Upon information and belief, an undetermined number of
Elevators were manufactured and distributed in U.S. commerce through
2012.
15. Upon information and belief, most, if not all, of the Elevators
were installed by third parties based upon guidance and instructions
contained in materials provided by Respondent.
16. These materials include engineering drawings and instructional
materials, including installation, design, and planning guides
(collectively herein, ``Installation Materials.'').
17. Upon information and belief, the estimated price for a two-
landing installation of the Elevators was between $15,000 to $25,000.
18. The Elevators have a passenger car that moves between the
floors in an elevator shaft, or ``hoistway.''
19. Access to an Elevator is restricted at each floor by a hoistway
door, which often looks like a typical door installed in a consumer's
residence.
20. Upon information and belief, when the Elevator is parked at a
floor, the hoistway door is not locked from the exterior.
21. The Elevators also contain an interior door, the elevator car
door, which is usually an accordion door or a scissor gate.
22. By design, accordion doors have v-shaped peaks and valleys that
allow the door to collapse on one side of the car door and allow
passengers to enter and exit the elevator.
23. This design leads to the creation of additional inches of space
between the peak, which is closest to the hoistway door, and the
valley, which is furthest away from the hoistway door.
24. Scissor gates are designed with metal grates and also collapse
to the side of the car door to allow passengers to enter and exit the
elevator.
25. Both accordion doors and scissor gates allow for deflection if
pressure is exerted on the elevator car door.
26. Deflection creates additional space between the elevator car
door and the hoistway door.
27. Upon information and belief, children 2-years-old and older can
fit in the space between a hoistway and elevator car door if the space
is greater than 4 inches.
28. The Elevators are commonly installed in homes, vacation
rentals, and other premises where children are present.
The Entrapment Hazard Created by the Elevators
29. Children are likely to use an Elevator.
30. Children are likely to play in or around an Elevator.
31. Children can fit and become entrapped in the space between the
hoistway door and the elevator car door when the space is greater than
4 inches (``Hazardous Space'').
32. Parents or caregivers are not likely to appreciate the danger
posed by a Hazardous Space between the hoistway door and elevator car
door.
33. When the elevator is not operating, children can open the
unlocked hoistway door, step into the Hazardous Space between the
hoistway door and elevator car door, and close the hoistway door behind
them.
34. Hoistway doors are designed with interlock devices, which
automatically lock when the Elevator is in operation.
35. If a child is in the Hazardous Space between the hoistway and
elevator car doors, and the elevator is called to another floor, the
hoistway door locks, trapping the child.
36. In such a situation, a child cannot escape because the hoistway
door is locked.
37. In such a situation, a parent or caregiver will likely be
unable to open the hoistway door to free the child while the elevator
is in operation.
38. A child entrapped in the Hazardous Space between the hoistway
door and the passenger car door when an elevator is in operation can
suffer serious injury or death.
39. Upon information and belief, children as young as 2 and as old
as 16 have become entrapped in the Hazardous Space between the hoistway
door and the elevator car door.
The Elevator Defects
40. The Elevators are defective because they contain defects in the
``contents, construction, finish, packaging, warnings, and/or
instructions,'' specifically through Respondent's Installation
Materials, and the Elevators contain design defects. See 16 CFR 1115.4.
41. The Installation Materials are defective because they direct,
cause, or fail to adequately prevent installation of the Elevators in a
manner that creates a Hazardous Space greater than 4 inches between the
hoistway door and the elevator car door.
42. The head breadths of some children can be less than 5 inches.
43. Upon information and belief, because of these dimensions,
children can fit in, and become entrapped between, the hoistway and
elevator car doors.
44. Certain Installation Materials are defective because they do
not contain specific instructions on how to measure the space between
the hoistway door and elevator car door based on the elevator car door
type (accordion or scissor).
45. Measuring to the valley versus the peak of an accordion
elevator door can result in significant space variances, creating
spaces much larger than 4 inches.
46. Installers using Installation Materials that do not specify how
to measure are more likely to install the Elevators with a Hazardous
Space because they are unlikely to appreciate the importance of
minimizing the space between the hoistway door and elevator car door by
measuring to the valley of the accordion door.
47. The Installation Materials that do contain specific
instructions on how to measure the space do so in a manner that will
create a Hazardous Space of greater than 4 inches.
48. Specifically, some of the Installation Materials affirmatively
direct installers to measure the distance to the elevator car itself,
the lead post of the car door, or the peak of the accordion door; all
points that are inches closer to the hoistway door than the valley of
the accordion door.
49. Thus, such direction makes it highly likely that installers
will fail to measure to the valley of an accordion door--all but
ensuring installation with a Hazardous Space of greater than 4 inches.
50. The Installation Materials also are defective because they fail
to state that these measurements are safety-critical and they fail to
expressly warn about the entrapment hazard posed by the Hazardous
Space.
51. The Installation Materials contain many fine print
measurements; failure to identify the particular measurements as a
critical safety element or identify the hazard means it is less likely
that there will be strict adherence to these measurements, which may
lead to the creation of a Hazardous Space.
52. The Installation Materials also are defective because they do
not require the use of, or provide, a measurement tool.
53. Failure to require the use of or to provide a measurement tool
to ensure precise measurements between the hoistway door and the
elevator car door may lead to the creation of a Hazardous Space because
installers may measure in a way to create such a space.
54. This is especially problematic when installing accordion doors,
because of the additional space that can be created when measuring to
the peaks of the doors and not the valleys.
55. Thus, failure to require the use of or provide a measuring tool
may lead to
[[Page 36713]]
installations where installers create a Hazardous Space by measuring to
a part of the car door that would not minimize the space.
56. The Installation Materials also are defective because they fail
to contain an elevator car door rigidity requirement to account for
deflection of the elevator car door when minimal force is applied.
57. Deflection allows for the creation of an even larger Hazardous
Space between the hoistway and elevator car doors.
58. The larger space created by deflection allows older and larger
children to push against the elevator car door and become entrapped in
the Hazardous Space.
59. The Elevators also are defective because they fail to provide
and require use of available safety features to mitigate against the
hazard.
60. Upon information and belief, Respondent sold safety features to
consumers as optional items.
61. Upon information and belief, none of the Elevators come with a
required safety feature that prevents a child from becoming entrapped
in the Hazardous Space when the Elevator is called to another floor.
62. The design of the Elevators allows the Elevators to move from
floor to floor when a child is entrapped in the Hazardous Space,
putting the child at risk of serious injury or death.
63. Upon information and belief, none of the Elevators come with a
required safety feature that would prevent the Elevator from moving
from floor to floor if a child is entrapped in the Hazardous Space.
64. Upon information and belief, the potential for a Hazardous
Space to exist between the hoistway door and elevator car door is
present on all Elevator models manufactured and distributed by
Respondent.
65. Upon information and belief, the potential for the Elevators to
operate and move from floor to floor even if a child is entrapped in
the Hazardous Space is present on all Elevator models manufactured and
distributed by Respondent.
Incidents Caused by the Defective Elevators
66. The defects associated with the Elevators have led to three
incidents, including the death of one child and serious and permanent
injuries to another.
67. Upon information and belief, on or about December 24, 2010, a
3-year-old boy became entrapped in the Hazardous Space between the
doors of a Destiny model elevator.
68. The elevator car door was an accordion door.
69. Upon information and belief, the child suffered a catastrophic
brain injury when the Elevator moved between floors, and as a result,
is permanently disabled.
70. The child will require constant care for the remainder of his
life.
71. The Elevator was manufactured on or about September 28, 2007.
72. Upon information and belief, there were between 4.875 inches
and 5 inches from the hoistway door to the peak of the accordion door,
and 7.5 inches from the hoistway door to the valley of the accordion
door.
73. Respondent's Installation Materials for this specific Elevator
installation instructed the installer to measure 5 inches from the
hoistway door to the ``outside'' or peak of the accordion gate.
74. Upon information and belief, on or about February 1, 2017, a 2-
year-old boy died when he became entrapped in the Hazardous Space
between the hoistway and accordion door of an LEV Elevator that was
moving between floors.
75. Upon information and belief, the Elevator was manufactured on
or about January 6, 2010.
76. Upon information and belief, on or about November 28, 2019, a
4-year-old child was entrapped in the Hazardous Space between the
hoistway and accordion door of a Destiny Elevator.
77. Upon information and belief, while in the Hazardous Space, the
child fell to the basement and was pinned by the Elevator.
78. This Elevator was manufactured on or about May 4, 2000.
79. Upon information and belief, the space between the hoistway
door and the elevator car sill was approximately 5 inches.
80. Upon information and belief, this child was deprived of oxygen
for some period of time, was hospitalized as a result of the incident,
and was later released.
Respondent's Knowledge of the Defects and the Hazard
81. Upon information and belief, Respondent knew of the deadly
dangers of the Hazardous Space when it manufactured and distributed the
Elevators.
82. Upon information and belief, on or about July 31, 2003,
National Wheel-O-Vator Company, Inc. received an ``Important Elevator
Safety Information Bulletin'' from the Otis Elevator Company.
83. Upon information and belief, this letter and a safety brochure
that accompanied the letter, highlighted the importance of reducing the
Hazardous Space by using space guards, which are safety devices that
can be installed on the back of each hoistway door to eliminate some of
the Hazardous Space.
84. The letter from Otis Elevator Company stated that, with space
guards installed, ``the likelihood of an entrapment between the door
and gate and of serious injury or death is greatly reduced.''
85. Upon information and belief, by 2006, members of the American
Society for Mechanical Engineers A17 Residence Elevator Committee (the
``Committee'') publicly raised concerns regarding risks posed by the 5-
inch space requirement between the hoistway door and the elevator car
door found in the ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators.
86. Upon information and belief, various representatives for
Respondent and National Wheel-O-Vator Company, Inc. participated in the
Committee, including the task group manager for this issue, the vice
chairman of the committee, and several other employees.
87. Upon information and belief, some Committee members noted that
5 inches between an elevator door and hoistway door could present an
entrapment hazard.
88. Upon information and belief, the Committee also discussed the
potential for measuring discrepancies between peaks and valleys of
accordion doors.
89. Upon information and belief, the Committee also discussed the
ability for accordion doors to be significantly more flexible due to
deflection.
90. Upon information and belief, Respondent nevertheless made no
changes to the Elevators or any Installation Materials.
91. Upon information and belief, in or about 2014, Respondent
launched an information campaign, known as homeSAFE (Safety Awareness
For Elevators).
92. Upon information and belief, as part of the homeSAFE campaign,
Respondent offered space guards to consumers.
93. Upon information and belief, consumers were required to pay for
75% of the cost of each space guard.
94. Upon information and belief, purchasing space guards for
multiple landings would cost consumers hundreds of dollars.
95. Upon information and belief, Respondent distributed
approximately 422 total space guards.
96. As part of the homeSAFE campaign, on or about June 24, 2014,
Respondent began recommending that
[[Page 36714]]
``to help prevent child entrapments, make sure the space between the
hoistway door and the cab gate is no more than four inches . . . [and]
taking measurements from the hoistway door to the back or rear post of
the car gate.''
97. Upon information and belief, by the time that the homeSAFE
campaign was launched, most, if not all, of Respondent's Elevators
would have already been installed with the defective Installation
Materials that allowed for a Hazardous Space greater than 4 inches and
did not recommend a precise measurement to the valley of the accordion
door.
98. Upon information and belief, in or about 2018, Respondent
stopped supporting the homeSAFE website.
99. Despite knowing for many years about the potential hazards
associated with its Elevators, Respondent took no action to correct
defects in its Installation Materials or its Elevators.
100. Because of Respondent's inaction, two children were involved
in incidents with Elevators manufactured after 2006; one child became
permanently disabled in December 2010 and one child died in February
2017.
101. Further, two of the reported incidents occurred during or
after Respondent's homeSAFE campaign; the death of a child in February
2017 and the hospitalization of a child in November 2019.
The Substantial Risk of Injury Posed by the Elevators
102. Upon information and belief, children, a vulnerable
population, have sustained grievous bodily injuries and death after
becoming entrapped in the Hazardous Space between the hoistway door and
the elevator car door on Respondent's Elevators.
103. Upon information and belief, children are likely to interact
with and playfully explore the Elevators, and it is foreseeable that
children could become entrapped between the hoistway and elevator car
doors.
104. Parents and caregivers are not likely to know about or
appreciate the safety hazard to children posed by the Hazardous Space
between the hoistway and elevator car doors.
105. Once a child enters the Hazardous Space and the elevator is
called to another floor, the child cannot escape.
106. If a child is in that Hazardous Space when the elevator is
called to another floor, the child is at risk of crushing injuries that
can prove fatal or permanently debilitating, such as massive head
trauma, compression of the torso, broken bones, and other grievous
bodily injuries.
107. Children can also suffer long term complications from being
crushed or dragged by an Elevator.
108. A child in the Hazardous Space when the elevator is called to
another floor is also at risk of falling into the elevator shaft and
suffering serious or fatal injuries.
109. Upon information and belief, at least three children have
become entrapped in the Hazardous Space due to the defects associated
with the Elevators.
110. The defects present in the Elevators create a substantial risk
of injury to children who are entrapped in the hazardous space between
the hoistway and elevator car doors when the elevator is called to
another floor.
111. Death, grievous bodily injuries, and serious injuries, as
defined in 16 CFR 1115.6(c) and Sec. 1115.12(d), are likely to occur
and have occurred when children become entrapped in the Hazardous Space
and the Elevator is called to another floor.
Legal Authority Under the CPSA
112. Under the CPSA, the Commission may order a firm to provide
notice to the public and take remedial action if the Commission
determines that a product ``presents a substantial product hazard.'' 15
U.S.C. 2064(c) and (d).
113. Under CPSA Section 15(a)(2), a ``substantial product hazard''
is ``a product defect which (because of the pattern of defect, the
number of defective products distributed in commerce, the severity of
the risk, or otherwise) creates a substantial risk of injury to the
public.'' 15 U.S.C. 2064(a)(2).
114. A product may contain a design defect even if it is
manufactured exactly in accordance with its design and specifications
if the design presents a risk of injury to the public. 16 CFR 1115.4.
115. A defect can also occur in a product's contents, construction,
finish, packaging, warnings, and/or instructions.
116. A consumer product may contain a defect if the instructions
for assembly or use could allow the product, otherwise safely designed
and manufactured, to present a risk of injury. 16 CFR 1115.4.
Count I
The Elevators Are a Substantial Product Hazard Because They Contain
Defects That Create a Substantial Risk of Injury to the Public
117. Paragraphs 1 through 116 are hereby realleged and incorporated
by reference as if fully set forth herein.
118. The Elevators are consumer products.
119. The Elevators contain defects because:
a. The Installation Materials direct, cause, or fail to adequately
prevent installation of the Elevators in a manner that creates a
Hazardous Space between the hoistway door and elevator car doors in
which children can become entrapped, including by failing to:
i. Contain adequate and correct instructions on how to measure the
space between the hoistway door and elevator car door to avoid creating
the Hazardous Space based on the elevator car door type;
ii. contain adequate instructions on how to avoid the creation of a
larger Hazardous Space based on the deflection of the elevator car
door;
iii. state that the measurement between the hoistway door and the
elevator car door is safety-critical or expressly warn about the
entrapment hazard; and
iv. require the use of, or provide, a measurement tool to ensure
precise measurement and avoid the creation of a Hazardous Space.
b. The design of the Elevators fails to require safety features
that prevent a child from becoming entrapped in the Hazardous Space and
that prevent the Elevator from moving between floors if a child is
entrapped in the Hazardous Space.
120. These defects separately, and in combination, create a
substantial risk of injury to the public because of the pattern of
defect, the number of defective products distributed in commerce, the
severity of the risk, or otherwise.
121. Therefore, the Elevators present a substantial product hazard
within the meaning of Section 15(a)(2) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(a)(2).
Relief Sought
Wherefore, in the public interest, Complaint Counsel requests that
the Commission:
A. Determine that the Elevators present a ``substantial product
hazard'' within the meaning of Section 15(a)(2) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(a)(2).
B. Determine that extensive and effective public notification under
Section 15(c) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2064(c), is required to adequately
protect the public from the substantial product hazard presented by the
Elevators, and order Respondent under Section 15(c) of the CPSA, 15
U.S.C. 2064(c), to:
(1) Notify all persons who distribute the Elevators, or to whom
such Elevators have been sold or distributed,
[[Page 36715]]
to immediately cease distribution of the Elevators;
(2) Notify appropriate state and local public health officials;
(3) Give prompt public notice of the defect in the Elevators,
including the incidents and injuries associated with the use of the
Elevators, including posting clear and conspicuous notice on
Respondent's website, and providing notice to any third-party website
on which Respondent has a presence, and provide further announcements
in languages other than English and on radio, television, and social
media;
(4) Mail and email notice to each distributor, retailer, dealer and
installer of the Elevators; and
(5) Mail and email notice to every person to whom the Elevators
were delivered or sold.
C. Determine that action under Section 15(d) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(d), is in the public interest and additionally order Respondent
to:
(1) Repair the defect in the Elevators by providing a free
inspection to consumers by a qualified inspector who will measure the
gap between the hoistway and elevator doors;
(2) Install, at no cost to consumers, a free space guard approved
by Commission staff that reduces the gap to no more than 4 inches;
(3) Make no charge to consumers, and to reimburse consumers, for
any reasonable and foreseeable expenses incurred in availing themselves
of any remedy provided under any Commission Order issued in this
matter, as provided by Section 15(e)(1) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(e)(1), including previous purchases of space guards or other
safety devices, and all costs associated with those purchases, whether
or not they were part of the homeSAFE campaign;
(4) Reimburse distributors, retailers, dealers, installers, and
other third parties for expenses in connection with carrying out any
Commission Order issued in this matter, including the costs of repairs
or replacements, as provided by Section 15(e)(2) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C.
2064(e)(2);
(5) Submit a plan satisfactory to the Commission, within ten (10)
days of service of the Final Order, directing that actions specified in
Paragraphs B(1) through (5), and C(1) through (4) above be taken in a
timely manner;
(6) Submit monthly reports, to the Commission, documenting the
progress of the corrective action program;
(7) For a period of five (5) years after issuance of the Final
Order in this matter, keep records of its actions taken to comply with
Paragraphs B(1) through (5), C(1) through (4), above, and supply these
records to the Commission for the purpose of monitoring compliance with
the Final Order; and
(9) For a period of five (5) years after issuance of the Final
Order in this matter, notify the Commission at least sixty (60) days
prior to any change in its business (such as incorporation,
dissolution, assignment, sale, or petition for bankruptcy) that results
in, or is intended to result in, the emergence of a successor
corporation, going out of business, or any other change that might
affect compliance obligations under a Final Order issued by the
Commission in this matter.
D. Order that Respondent take other and further actions as the
Commission deems necessary to protect the public health and safety and
to comply with the CPSA.
Issued by Order of the Commission:
Dated this 7th day of July, 2021
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
By: Robert Kaye,
Assistant Executive Director, Office of Compliance and Field
Operations, (301) 504-6960.
Mary B. Murphy,
Director, Division of Enforcement and Litigation.
Gregory M. Reyes,
Trial Attorney.
Michael J. Rogal,
Trial Attorney.
Complaint Counsel, Office of Compliance and Field Operations, U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bethesda, MD 20814, Tel: (301)
504-7809.
United States of America Consumer Product Safety Commission
In the Matter of Thyssenkrupp Access Corp., Respondent.
CPSC DOCKET NO.: 21-1
List and Summary of Documentary Evidence
Pursuant to 16 CFR 1025.11(b)(3) of the Commission's Rules of
Practice for Adjudicative Proceedings, the following is a list and
summary of documentary evidence supporting the charges in this matter.
Complaint Counsel reserves the right to offer additional or different
evidence during the course of the proceedings, or to withhold evidence
on the basis of any applicable legal privileges.
1. Claims, complaints, records, reports, CPSC's In-Depth
Investigations, and lawsuits concerning incidents or injuries involving
various models of residential elevators manufactured and distributed by
Respondent (``Elevators'').
2. Engineering drawings and instructional materials, including
installation, design, and planning guides (referred to as
``Installation Materials'').
3. Design, manufacturing, distribution, warnings, instructions, and
promotional materials associated with the Elevators.
4. CPSC Product Safety Assessments.
5. Correspondence between Respondent and CPSC staff related to the
Elevators.
6. Documents and information related to the Elevators, including
notices issued regarding the Elevators and similar products.
7. Documents and information related to Respondent's corporate
structure and Respondent's acquisition of and merger with other
manufacturers and distributors of the Elevators.
Dated this 7th day of July, 2021
Mary B. Murphy,
Director.
Gregory M. Reyes,
Trial Attorney.
Michael J. Rogal,
Trial Attorney.
Division of Enforcement and Litigation, Office of Compliance and
Field Operations, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Bethesda,
MD 20814, Tel: (301) 504-7809.
Complaint Counsel for U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Certificate of Service
I hereby certify that on July 7, 2021, I served the foregoing
Complaint and List and Summary of Documentary Evidence upon all parties
of record in these proceedings by emailing a copy to counsel, as
follows:
Sheila A. Millar,
Steven Michael Gentine,
Keller and Keckman LLP, 1001 G Street NW, Suite 500 West,
Washington, DC 20001.
Email: [email protected], [email protected].
Gregory M. Reyes,
Complaint Counsel for U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
[FR Doc. 2021-14819 Filed 7-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P