The Code Reporter

The latest information on the California elevator safety code.





Saturday, April 19, 2014

Elevator Rulemaking - Revision of Elevator Safety Orders

The Division of Occupational Safety & Health - Elevator Unit (Division) is proposing new language consisting of revisions to Group I and the addition of a new Group V to the Elevator Safety Orders, for commercial elevators in the state of California.  The Division, including Debra Tutor, Principal Engineer and Dan Barker, Senior Engineer, will be hosting an Advisory Committee Meeting on Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014, 10 AM to 3:30 PM at the Elihu Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street, 1st floor Auditorium, Oakland California.

More information is available on the Division's website page:  http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/elevator_rulemaking.html.  The Proposed Draft Language, Meeting Notice and Agenda can be downloaded at that site.  If you are not already on it, you might want to consider getting on the Division's email list so you will receive notices, such as these, directly from them.  To get on the list, email
Melissa Lockett at mlockett@dir.ca.gov.

The proposed new language will have far reaching consequences for the industry.  The changes to Group I of Elevator Safety Orders includes the implementation of the long awaited (long dreaded by some) Plan Review process as a required part of obtaining a permit for new installations and alterations.  The language includes very specific requirements for the submittal process, which will include job specific, scaled and dimensioned drawings.  There are drawing requirement beyond what I typically provide in my service at RCB Elevator Consulting, LLC.

The greatest change will be the addition of a Group V to the Elevator Safety Orders, which reference the ASME A17.1-2013/CSA B44-13 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators.  Those of us that are finally comfortable working with the A17.1-2004 code will be in for a workout to get our arms around this new code.  It incorporates requirements for MRLs and other new technologies throughout, making the code vastly more complicated.  It commonly cross references section-to-section, making sorting things out a lot more difficult.  It will be a leap for us considering there have been previous upgrades to A17.1 including 2007 and 2010.  As I'm sure you know, the ASME codes must be purchased and are available from Elevator World, Techstreet (http://www.techstreet.com/products/1865958), and directly from ASME (https://www.asme.org).

Now, to add a level of complication geometrical to comprehending the A17.1-2013 code, the Division is proposing approximately 35 pages of Group V language that supersedes A17.1-2013.  Whole sections are "not adopted" and other sections are completely rewritten.  To help me get through attempting to reconcile the two documents, I completely red-lined a copy of A17.1-2013, lining-out the "not adopted" sections and word strike-outs.  I wrote in in red the new Division language, where there was sufficient room.  Otherwise, I added references back to the CCR Title 8 document.  There's a lot to comprehend!

The proposed Division changes to A17.1-2013 covers a lot of issues and I won't go into them all in this article.  I'll mention a few:

  • The Performance Based Code A17.7-2007 is not adopted.
  • Vast changes to MRL elevators regarding access to equipment.
  • Controllers are not allowed in the hoistway, overhead, pit or entrance frames.  They must be in a dedicated machine or control room.
  • Work platforms, stationary or retractable, are not allowed to service equipment in the overhead.
  • If the drive machine or emergency brake are to be serviced from the car top, the cat top must be level with the access landing and locked at that location (how's that going to work?).  
Certainly don't rely upon my opinion - get a copy and work through it on your own.  I would recommend attending the Advisory Committee Meeting on Tuesday, April 22nd.  Unfortunately, I have to be in Denver on that day, attending the International Association of Elevator Consultants (IAEC) Annual Forum, as I serve on the Board.  My wife, Margaret will be there, taking notes, as well as a number of my spies.  It will be an interesting one...

Your Code Reporter,
Rich Blaska