The Elevator Safety Review board met today at the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 2 Headquarters in Chicago Ridge. Though the A17.1 2022 code has not been approved by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), the board is proactively addressing concerns that the new code will create.
Many of the items discussed at the meeting were procedural and dealt with changes to elevator inspection forms. Some questions and comments addressed specific language and how it would be interpreted once the code becomes the law of the land.
Most of those discussions centered on Door Lock Monitoring. For Colley customers, this means the following:
What is Door Lock Monitoring? It is a system that prevents an elevator from moving unless its doors are fully closed and locked. It monitors the position of an elevator’s car doors and prevent automatic operation if any door issues are detected, such as with the door wiring, locks, contacts or the system being on bypass.
How will Door Lock Monitoring be tested? That is the million dollar question at the moment, though it will become part of the annual category 1 (CAT1) no load safety test.
All elevators will be required to have testing guidelines onsite which is not a problem for new elevators, but older ones may lack the documentation.
Industry-wide it will likely mean higher fees from both the elevator inspection companies as well as labor costs. Most in the industry seem to agree that 2 mechanics will be needed for door lock monitoring inspections and those inspections may take an additional hour. For reference, CAT1 tests on hydraulic elevators only require 1 mechanic and 1 hour to perform.
Some older elevators, especially those with controllers pre-2000 won't even have the door lock monitoring feature. Those elevators will need modernizations.
Will Door Lock Monitoring be required on my elevator/conveyance? All freight and passenger elevators that have power operated doors which are mechanically coupled to landing doors will need this feature. If a door can be pulled closed, for example on freight elevators, it does not need door lock monitoring as the doors cannot close on their own.
There is no grandfathering in this code edition - all elevators that require door lock monitoring MUST HAVE IT. Tentatively the grace period for those without is January 1, 2029.
If you have any questions or would like additional information please contact us.
