ESW- 2 :- Protecting Workers Who Installs, Repairs, and Maintains Elevators

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Elevator, Escalator & Moving Walk

Protecting Workers Who Installs, Repairs, and Maintains Elevators 

Elevator and construction workers face the highest risk of elevator-related injuries. Almost half of all elevator-related deaths involve people working on or near elevators, including those who install, repair, and maintain them or who work in or near elevator shafts. 

The most common incidents are falls into the shaft, falls of material from height, electrocution, workers caught between moving parts or platforms, and workers struck by elevator cars or counterweights.

Everyone has a role in preventing these incidents. Use the steps below to help prevent elevator-related injuries and deaths.

Risk Assessment and Job Planning (new)

• Carry out a documented risk assessment or job hazard analysis before every job, and update it when conditions change.
• Hold a short pre-job briefing (toolbox talk) to review hazards, roles, emergency steps, and stop-work conditions.
• Create a written work plan for high-risk tasks such as hoisting, roping changes, and work on the car top or in the pit.
• Plan for enough workers to complete the task safely, including a second person where procedures require it.
• Check the weather, building occupancy, and other trades on site, since they can change the risk.
• Give every worker the authority to stop work when something looks unsafe, without fear of penalty.

Training and Qualified Personnel

• Make sure workplace protective practices and worker training are adequate.
• Use only qualified repair companies or workers for elevator repair and maintenance.
• Provide training before work begins and refresh it regularly, especially when procedures, equipment, or site conditions change.
• Make sure workers understand the hazards of the specific elevator type they are servicing (traction, hydraulic, freight, or escalator).
• Keep training records and check that contractors’ workers are trained to the same standard.
• Clarify each person’s responsibilities before work starts when several workers are involved.
• Train workers in first aid, CPR, and emergency response, and make sure at least one trained person is on every site.
• Give new and young workers close supervision and mentoring until they are competent.
• Provide training in a language and format that all workers understand.
• Check licenses and certifications, and confirm that they are valid for the type of work.

Controlling Hazardous Energy and Confined Spaces

• De-energize and lock out electrical circuits and mechanical equipment whenever an elevator is out of service or under repair.
• Establish a permit-required confined-space program for elevator shafts.
• Write lockout/tagout procedures specific to each elevator, and have each worker apply their own lock and tag.
• Verify that equipment is de-energized before work starts, and account for stored mechanical energy such as springs, counterweights, and suspended loads.
• Test the atmosphere and provide ventilation where confined-space conditions require it.
• Account for every jumper used, and remove all jumpers before the elevator returns to service.
• Audit lockout/tagout practices regularly, and retrain anyone who skips steps.
• Use group lockout procedures when several workers or crews are involved.
• Provide a rescue plan and equipment for confined-space entries before anyone enters.
• Include hydraulic systems in the plan. Release stored pressure safely and block the plunger or car before working below it.

Fall Protection and Inspection

• Provide adequate fall protection during work in or near elevator shafts.
• Barricade open hoistway entrances so that people and materials cannot fall in.
• Provide approved anchor points, harnesses, and lanyards, and inspect them before each use.
• Secure tools and materials against falling onto workers below.
• Keep shafts, pits, and machine rooms free of debris, oil, and water.
• Provide adequate lighting in shafts, pits, and machine rooms
• Use debris netting or overhead protection when people are working at different levels in the same shaft.
• Never let two crews work above and below each other without coordination and protection.
• Inspect ladders, scaffolds, and platforms before each use, and use them only as designed.
• Plan a rescue for a worker who falls and is left suspended in a harness, since suspension trauma can be serious within minutes.
• Keep shaft openings closed or guarded during breaks and overnight.

Inspection and Maintenance

• Develop an effective inspection and maintenance program.
• Schedule routine inspections and tests according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and local regulations.
• Keep maintenance, inspection, and repair records, and make them available to inspectors.
• Fix reported defects promptly, and take the elevator out of service if a defect creates a safety risk.
• Inspect and test safety devices, such as governors, buffers, door interlocks, and emergency stops, on schedule.
• Use a checklist for each service visit, so no safety device is skipped.
• Track recurring faults and find the root cause rather than repeating temporary fixes.
• Never use the elevator as a work platform or for hauling materials unless it is approved for that purpose.
• Follow the manufacturer’s service manual and any safety bulletins or recalls.
• Include escalators and moving walkways in your program, with their own lockout, guarding, and comb-plate checks.

Hoisting, Rigging, and Material Handling 

• Prepare a hoisting and rigging plan, and make sure the load weight is known.
• Use only certified, rated equipment, and inspect it before each use.
• Never stand or walk under a suspended load.
• Use mechanical aids and team lifts for heavy components such as machines, counterweight frames, and rails.
• Store materials so they cannot fall, roll, or block exits and access routes.
• Train workers in safe manual handling to reduce back and shoulder injuries.

Electrical and Arc-Flash Safety 

• Treat every circuit as live until you have proven it is dead.
• Test your meter on a known source before and after use.
• Use insulated tools and meters rated for the voltage.
• Keep a safe distance from exposed live parts, and use barriers or covers where possible.
• Assess arc-flash risk, label equipment where required, and provide arc-rated PPE.
• Only qualified electrical workers should perform live work, and only when the procedure allows it.
• Avoid working in wet or damp conditions near electrical equipment.

Personal Protective Equipment

• Provide and require PPE suited to the task, including hard hats, safety shoes, eye and face protection, hearing protection, gloves, and fall protection.
• Use insulated tools and test instruments in good working condition for electrical work.
• Remove loose clothing and jewelry, and tie back long hair before working near moving equipment.
• Replace damaged or worn PPE immediately.
• Match PPE to the task. For example, use cut-resistant gloves for sharp edges and respirators for dust or fumes.
• Make sure PPE fits properly, and train workers to inspect, wear, and store it.
• Provide high-visibility clothing when working in lobbies, garages, or loading areas.

Health, Fatigue, and Working Conditions 

• Allow enough rest between shifts. Fatigue increases the risk of errors, especially during emergency call-outs.
• Provide drinking water and rest breaks in hot machine rooms and shafts.
• Watch for heat stress, dehydration, and cold exposure, and adjust work accordingly.
• Control noise, dust, and fumes with ventilation, protective equipment, or safer products.
• Do not allow anyone to work under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or impairing medication.
• Support workers’ mental well-being, and encourage them to speak up about stress or pressure to take shortcuts.

Working Alone and Contractor Management 

• Avoid working alone in shafts, pits, and machine rooms where possible.
• If someone must work alone, set up check-in times, and give them a working phone or radio.
• Choose contractors based on safety performance, not just price.
• Share site hazards, rules, and emergency plans with every contractor before they start.
• Coordinate work so that different trades do not create hazards for each other.
• Review contractors’ safety records, incident history, and insurance.

Inspection and Maintenance Records 

• Keep logs of inspections, tests, repairs, and incidents.
• Keep current certificates of inspection and make them available when required.
• Record safety training, toolbox talks, and equipment checks.
• Use the records to spot trends and to improve procedures.

Signage and Communication

• Post appropriate elevator safety signs for emergency operation, freight elevators, counterweights, elevator shafts, inspection tags, and similar hazards.
• Place “Out of Service” signs at the elevator and at every landing entrance during work.
• Notify building management and occupants before service or repair work begins and again when it is complete.
• Provide clear instructions in the car for emergency use, including how to call for help.
• Keep emergency contact numbers visible and working.
• Use barriers and signs to keep the public away from open hoistway doors and work areas.
• Display rated load, capacity, and “no smoking” signs where required.
• Make signs clear and durable, and replace faded or damaged ones.
• Provide accessible information, such as Braille, tactile, and audio signals, for passengers with disabilities.

Responsibilities by Role

Workers

• Follow procedures, and use the required PPE and lockout devices.
• Never bypass or disable safety devices.
• Stop work and report any hazard or near miss right away.
• Never work in a hoistway alone if your procedures require a second person.
• Attend training and toolbox talks, and ask questions if you are unsure.
• Keep your tools and PPE in good condition, and report damaged items.
• Look out for your colleagues, and speak up if someone is taking a risk.

Employers and Supervisors

• Plan work and assess hazards before every job.
• Provide tools, PPE, training, and enough staff to work safely.
• Monitor compliance and correct unsafe practices.
• Investigate incidents and near misses, and share what was learned.
• Set clear safety rules, and apply them consistently.
• Do not pressure workers to hurry, skip steps, or take shortcuts.
• Carry out regular site safety inspections and audits.
• Set safety goals and recognize safe behavior.

Building Owners and Managers

• Hire licensed, qualified elevator contractors and keep service contracts current.
• Keep machine rooms, pits, and shaft access locked and restricted to authorized people.
• Keep current inspection certificates and records.
• Take any unsafe elevator out of service until it is repaired and inspected.
• Make sure passengers know what to do in an emergency.
• Give contractors safe access, adequate lighting, and clear work areas.
• Respond quickly to reports of faults, entrapments, or unusual noises.
• Budget for maintenance, modernization, and repairs, not just emergency fixes.
• Make sure cleaning, security, and maintenance staff know not to enter machine rooms or shafts.
• Plan for modernization of aging elevators so that safety devices stay up to date.

Emergency Preparedness

• Develop an emergency plan for entrapments, injuries, fires, and power failures.
• Train staff and security personnel on how to respond to a stalled elevator, and make sure they know that passengers must never try to climb out.
• Make sure rescue is performed only by trained, authorized personnel.
• Review and practice emergency procedures regularly.
• Provide first-aid supplies and know the fastest way to contact emergency services.
• Keep a list of emergency contacts, including the elevator contractor, utilities, and emergency services.
• Run drills for entrapment and evacuation at least once a year.
• Plan for natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. Shut down and inspect elevators before returning them to service.
• Make sure firefighter service and recall systems are tested and working.
• Provide a backup power plan and emergency lighting for critical elevators.

Incident Reporting and Safety Culture.

• Report every injury, incident, and near miss, however small.
• Investigate the root causes, not just the immediate ones, and fix them.
• Share lessons learned with the whole team and with contractors.
• Never blame the person who reports a problem. Encourage open reporting.
• Review safety performance regularly, and track leading indicators such as inspections done and near misses reported.
• Involve workers in safety committees and in updating procedures.