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CSULB elevators inspected, investigation ongoing

A sign on the front door of the Foundation building notifies the public that the elevators are out of service until further notice.

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a fatality that occurred in one of the elevators in the Foundation building at the end of last semester.

Access to the second and third floors of the building is currently restricted to the stairwells.

Annette Lujan, an employee at the Office of University Grants and Research, died in the elevator accident on Dec. 7, 2011.

Lujan was pinned between the third floor of the building and the elevator, which was stuck between the second and third floor. As she was trying to get out of the elevator, it moved and crushed her.

After the accident, President F. King Alexander sent an email to the campus community that all campus elevators would be inspected. According to Toni Beron, associate vice president of university relations, inspections on all campus elevators were completed before the holidays and all elevators passed those inspections.

The university has not heard anything from Cal OSHA about the investigation into the fatality and the elevator, according to Beron.

Both elevators in the Foundation building are still out of order.

A wooden barrier blocks off the elevator where the accident occurred, black curtains hang in front of the elevators on the second and third floors, and OSHA posted a “do not enter/disturb” sign on the first floor.

According to Erika Monterroza, spokesperson for Cal OSHA, the investigations into the fatality and the elevator are still ongoing, and they may take four to six months to complete.

The office of research and grants where Lujan worked has a sign posted next to the door stating that the office has moved to Faculty Office building 5.

According to Charles Greenwood, sponsored programs coordinator at the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, the department had plans to move before the accident occurred and scheduled the move to take place the week before Christmas.

 


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