Proper elevator machine room access

Safe access to elevator equipment is very important in our trade.  It is very important as inspectors, office staff and field staff to let building owners know what is acceptable and not acceptable access to machine areas, pits, control areas, etc.

[This is a kids slide to get into the machine room, to get to the roof you had to climb up a wooden ladder that wasn't structurally sound]

A few items to look for when entering machine or control spaces

1.    A permanent and unobstructed means of access shall be provided to

a.    Machine rooms and control rooms

b.    Machinery spaces and control spaces outside the hoist way

c.    Machinery spaces and control spaces inside the hoist way that do not have means of access to the space as specified in 2.7.3.1.2

2.    Clear path not less than 18” shall be provided in the direction required for maintenance access

3.    Must be fire rated

4.    Access to other locations within the building of access to equipment not related to elevators through the machine space, machine room, control space or control rooms shall not be permitted – This means that if you have to walk through the elevator room to get to the air handling unit would not cut it.

5.    A permanent, fixed, noncombustible ladder or stair shall be provided where the floor of the room or space above or below the floor or roof which the means of access leads, or where the distance between floor levels in the room or space, is more than 8”.

6.    A permanent, noncombustible stair shall be provided where the floor of the room or the space above or below the floor or roof from which the means of access leads, or where the distance between floor levels in the machine space is 35” or more.  Vertical ladders with hand grips shall be permitted to be used in lieu of stairs for access to overhead machinery spaces, except those containing controllers and motor generators.

7.    Stairs shall have a maximum angle of 60 degrees

8.    The list goes on with similar requirements

If you are in question if your building’s machine space complies talk with your elevator professional.   If the particular elevator professional does not know someone at their office will know and can get them the information to get to you.

Older buildings – We run into older buildings on a regular basis where these requirements just will not happen as an air handler has been in the way of putting a proper stairway.  In this case it is up to the inspector and the elevator professional to come up with a safe solution.

What does this all mean?  This all means that your elevator professional requires safe and reasonable access to the equipment that needs to be maintained, repaired or replaced.  If you are a building owner that has been climbing over an object and moving through a confined space to climb up a wooden ladder attached to a hoistway wall[which may have been there for 80 years] to get to the elevator equipment and you are OK with it, doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe and reasonable to expect an elevator professional to do so.

We want to maintain your elevator equipment in a safe manner, we ask for your help as building owners and managers to help us do so.

If you have any questions or would like information from Colley Elevator you can go to www.colleyelevator.com, email Craigz@colleyelevator.com or call 630-766-7230.