ESW- 10 :- Working on the Car Top: Hazards and Safety Controls

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Elevator, Escalator & Moving Walk

Working on the Car Top: Hazards and Safety Controls

The top of the elevator car is one of the most hazardous places a technician can work. You are close to moving ropes, sheaves, and counterweights, with an open shaft around you. It only takes one simple fault for the consequences to be deadly. Knowing the hazards and applying the right controls before you step on helps prevent serious injuries.

Hazards on the Car Top

Falls

• Falling into the pit: falling from the car top edge into the shaft.
• Falling objects: tools or materials dropped from the car top.
• Tripping and falling: caused by unexpected car movement or by obstacles on the car top, such as scattered tools, materials, and wiring cords.
• Stepping between the landing and the car top: the gap and any height difference can cause a fall or a trapped foot.
• Slippery surfaces: oil, grease, or dust on the car top.
• Loss of balance: sudden starts and stops, or a jerk from the car.

Moving equipment

• 
  Adjacent hoistways: being hit or caught by moving equipment in unguarded neighboring shafts.
• Nip points: being caught in an unguarded moving sheave, pulley, or belt on the car top.
• Moving car and counterweight: being hit or caught by a moving car or counterweight.
• Fixed obstructions: striking stationary objects in the hoistway, such as trimmer beams.
• Ropes and compensating chains: moving or swinging ropes can strike or snag you.
• Overhead hazards: limited headroom at the top of the shaft and crushing between the car top and the overhead.
• Hoistway equipment: guide rails, brackets, door equipment, and cables projecting into the work area.
• Unexpected movement: the car may start moving because of a fault, a control error, or another person.

Electrical

• Electric shock from live equipment on the car top and in the hoistway.
• Damaged cables and lamps: worn insulation on lighting, travelling cables, and control wiring.
• Stored energy: springs, counterweights, and suspended loads can release energy.

Environment

• Poor lighting: dark corners hide hazards.
• Confined space and heat: a tight, hot, or poorly ventilated shaft can affect alertness.
• Falling debris from above: tools, dust, or materials dropped by other workers higher in the shaft.
• Noise: noisy machinery or work in adjacent areas can hide warnings.

Controls

Before You Step On

• Make sure all site personnel follow the safety procedure for getting on and off the car top.
• Do not enter a car top that has no guardrail or barricade.
• If the gap between the hoistway wall and the car top edge is more than 300 mm on any side, make sure car top barricades are installed.
• Put the elevator in inspection mode before you step on, and keep it in inspection mode for as long as you are on the car top.
• Check that the car top stop button, inspection switch, and direction buttons cannot be knocked or activated by accident.
• If the car top inspection control does not work correctly, put the car in inspection mode from the controller and fix the faulty circuit before doing any further work on the car top.
• Remove loose clothing and dangling jewelry, which could catch on hoistway accessories and cause injury.
• Wear a full-body harness anchored with a top yoke.
• Adjust the free length of the lanyard so that you can reach the farthest edge of the car top and the inspection board.
• Plan the job and complete a risk assessment, and discuss it with your co-worker before you start.
• Tell your supervisor or the building representative where you will be working.
• Put “Out of Service” signs at the landings, and secure the elevator from the public.
• Check that no one is in the car before you take the elevator out of service.
• Wear the required PPE, including a hard hat, safety shoes with good grip, and eye protection where needed.
• Check that your harness, lanyard, and tools are in good condition, and inspect them before each use.
• Tie your tools to you or place them in a bag so they cannot fall into the shaft.
• Check the hoistway lighting. If it is not adequate, do not enter until it is fixed, and use only an approved safety hand lamp.
• Do not use matches, lighters, or open flames in the shaft, and do not smoke.

Getting On and Off the Car Top

• Use only the company-approved key to open the landing door, and never force a door or use improvised tools.
• Open the landing door no more than 15 cm at first, and confirm that the car is present before you open it fully.
• Do not step onto the car top if it is more than about 1 foot (30 cm) above or below the landing. Bring the car level first, or use the approved procedure.
• Mechanically block or hold the landing door open, and never leave landing doors open and unattended.
• Before stepping on, check the shaft lighting and note where moving equipment, safety switches, and obstructions are.
• Set the stop switch and the inspection switch, and test each one independently before you step on.
• Switch off the cabin fan before entering, if your procedure requires it.
• Face the car top when stepping on and off, and keep one hand on a stationary part of the car.
• Do not stand with one foot on the car top and one on the landing while the car can move.
• Keep a clear path to the landing door at all times.

Staying Aware

• Know the position of the car and counterweight in adjacent unscreened shafts and how far away they are.
• Be aware of obstructions in the hoistway, whether static, such as trimmer beams, or moving, such as the counterweight.
• Be aware of unguarded moving equipment on the car top, such as sheaves, ropes, cabin fans, door operator pulleys, and belts.
• Stay well clear of the empty space beside or behind the car where the counterweight travels.
• Keep the car top clear of loose tools, materials, and wiring cords so that you do not trip.
• Note the location of the stop switch and the refuge space before the car moves.
• Check the overhead clearance and any obstructions above before you travel upward.
• Watch for ropes, compensating chains, and travelling cables that move with the car.
• Listen for unusual noises, and stop immediately if something does not sound or feel right.
• Be aware of other workers above and below you in the shaft.

Working Position

• Stand on the front or rear side of the car top, where you can reach every switch and button on the inspection box without straining and without exposing any part of your body to moving parts.
• Keep access to the stop switch and the inspection board clear at all times.
• Stay near the center of the car while the lift is moving, unless your work requires you to be elsewhere.
• Do not lean over the edge, and do not let anything project from the car top or into an adjacent shaft.
• Do not lean on, stand on, travel on, or build temporary work stands on guardrails.
• Allow no more than two people on the car top.
• Stand upright and balanced, and hold a stationary part of the car structure.
• Never hold or lean on guide rails, brackets, walls, counterweights, or ropes for balance.
• Keep your hands, feet, and tools clear of the gap between the car and the hoistway wall.
• Keep all parts of your body inside the limits of the car while it moves.
• Do not sit or stand on the car top edge, and do not stretch beyond your lanyard.
• Keep your harness connected whenever there is a fall hazard.

Moving the Car

• Check that everyone and everything is clear before you move the lift.
• Tell your co-worker the direction you intend to travel, and move the car only after they and everyone else involved have confirmed.
• Never move the car up or down with a door open, even in inspection mode.
• Run the car in inspection mode only, and at the slow speed it provides.
• Press and hold the direction button, and release it immediately to stop. Do not tape, wedge, or hold buttons down by any other means.
• Never ride on the car top while the car is running at normal speed.
• Keep your finger near the stop switch, so you can stop the car at any instant.
• Stop and re-check before you move into a tight or unfamiliar area, such as the top of the shaft.
• Never use the car top as a hiding place or shortcut. It is a work area only.

Working on Equipment

• Turn the car top stop switch to STOP before you clean, adjust, oil, or grease anything.
• Do not clean, oil, or grease any part while the car is moving.
• Keep tools and materials in a bag or secured, and do not leave loose items on the car top.
• Hold wiping cloths in your palm, and never wrap them around your hand.
• Keep hands and fingers away from the sheaves, belts, and door operator while the car or doors can move.
• Use only approved portable lamps, and keep cords clear of moving parts.
• Do not wear gloves near moving machinery, and take them off when working near rotating parts.
• Use mechanical aids or a team lift for heavy parts.
• Never leave the car top with equipment partly disconnected, bypassed, or adjusted without telling your co-worker.
• Do not take shortcuts with safety devices. Never bypass an interlock or switch unless your procedure allows it, and account for every jumper you use.

Electrical Safety

• Always turn the car top stop switch to STOP before you work on equipment.
• Never assume that the stop switch isolates the circuit you are working on. The stop switch is designed to stop the elevator, not to isolate every electrical circuit.
• If you need to isolate the circuit, switch off the main switch or MCB in the machine room. Test it before you touch it.
• Apply lockout and tagout to the main isolator when your procedure requires it.
• Test your meter on a known source before and after you check for voltage.
• Treat every circuit as live until you have proven it is dead.
• Use insulated tools, and keep your hands, tools, and the car top dry.
• Do not work on live circuits unless it is necessary, your procedure allows it, and you are qualified.
• Check cables and lamps for damage before you use them.

Communication and Teamwork

• Keep communication open with your co-worker at all times, and agree on clear signals or calls.
• Do not move the car or operate any switch without your co-worker’s confirmation.
• Tell your colleague when you change position, or when you stop work to adjust or check something.
• Avoid lone work on the car top if your procedure requires a second person.
• Use a mobile phone or radio for backup, and agree on a check-in time.
• Never rush, and speak up if something does not feel safe.

If You Are Trapped or Something Goes Wrong

• Stay calm, press the stop switch, and call for help.
• If you cannot release the landing door lock, stay on the car top and wait for help. Never climb on elevator parts to reach the landing door lock.
• If the car moves unexpectedly, stop it with the stop switch, keep your body inside the car limits, and stay away from the edge and the counterweight space.
• If someone falls, is injured, or is suspended in a harness, call for help immediately. Suspension in a harness can become dangerous within minutes, so a rescue plan is essential.
• If you smell smoke or see fire, stop work, raise the alarm, and evacuate.
• Report every injury, near miss, and unsafe condition to your supervisor.

Before You Leave the Car Top

• Return the inspection and stop switches to their normal positions, and remove any blocks you placed.
• Take all tools, rags, and materials with you.
• Remove all jumpers, locks, and tags, and test the safety circuits.
• Replace all guards and covers you removed.
• Close and lock the landing door, and remove “Out of Service” signs.
• Tell building management what was done, and report any concerns.