Colley Elevators 7th Annual QEI continuing education training

Each year for the last 7 years Colley Elevator has been hosting inspectors from across the Chicago area as well as mechanics from Colley and other companies to attend QEI/Elevator code continuing education.

This year we again had Joe Donnelly – PE conduct the training. Joe D has had a pretty incredible career starting out by working for Westinghouse Elevator as a apprentice then field engineer moving to Lerch Bates to start his consulting career and now at Donnelly & Associates doing elevator consulting and training.  He has had experience working on the State of Illinois Board as the technical advisor and currently is the Chair of the City of Chicago code committee and helped bring the City from a 2001 code to 2016.

While the content is similar year to year [the code doesn’t change quickly] I always learn something different each session.  The group of inspectors and mechanics who come also bring their own experiences to the discussion which is always interesting.

This year we reviewed – City – State code update, 2010 & 2013 A17.1 major code update, 2016 A17.1 Part 2 code update, 2016 A17.1 Part 3 code update, A17.1 Part 6 code update, A17.1 part 8.6 code update, FEO service review, A17.3 code review, NEC code update, A117.1 class, A17.2 routine inspection review, A17.2 periodic test review, City of Chicago 2018 code A17.1, City of Chicago 2018 code A17.3

My notes – As I said, I’ve heard all of this before many times but it sinks in a little more each time and you always pick up a few items that you can use every day.

State of Illinois mandate

Fire service witnessing – We discussed the potential issue with coordination and staffing

            Braille – Recent ADA mandate in our elevator world

Chicago code modifications

           Pit sprinklers

Car top stations – pendant station – may be a future solution to inspection station placement

           Access switches – 12” away from door jamb – Big change to some designs

           Emergency exits with 14” x 14” space next to – Never paid much attention to this

Hoistway – 55-95 Degrees – Hoistway “safe environment for elevator equipment” temperature controlled – Always important

           Freight elevator – Push to stop switches

In/car stop switch during phase I stops the car – Change now that we have keyed stop switches

            Fire alarms needed in hoistways when these are in HW – applicable to MRLs

                        Motor control

                        Drive machine

                        Control space

Phone jacks in fixtures are only required when FD use communication center @ building – This is not a very popular item because our fire fighters use walkie talkies

           Expiration of batteries visible to batteries – No one does this but should

Smoke detectors – Limitations where the need to go on wall – Fire companies need to follow the code

           Sprinkler requirement – I always get tripped up here

Toe Guard – 60 to 75 degrees – I always forget this dimension

NEC

Isolation transformers – ML to controller to Iso to controller – not disconnect to Iso to controller – if wired this way – need additional disconnect

High voltage to low voltage – UL label – coming in controller

Fire alarm announciator is king for where lobby panel – chiefed by life safety company & AHJ – Life safety companies need to talk to AHJ before we start so we are both on the same page.

Take away – Our professional lives go so quickly day by day and we “know everything” but I think sometimes taking time to go through some additional training on things you know goes a long way.  We also picked up a lot of good information from one another.

Chicago Elevator Association – Oak Brook, IL – Club House – 10/3/19 – speaker – Kone Spares

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact me at CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

Also check us out on Instagram @Colleyelevator see what we have been up to.